DC Phantom
by Slayer Anderson
Summary: Daniel Fenton never thought school would mean anything more than bullies, bad grades, and worse teachers...that was before the HIVE Academy for Exceptional Young People; Re-write of HIVE Minded.
1. Chapter 1

Slayer Anderson

DC Phantom

A Danny Phantom/DC 'Verse Crossover

06/21/2012

Summary: Re-write of HIVE Minded, Daniel Fenton never thought school would mean anything more than bullies, bad grades, and worse teachers...that was before the HIVE Academy.

A/N: Yes, for those of you who read the old version, things will be different! I envision more time at the HIVE Academy, less cross-dressing, and a somewhat different storyline. This means that some of the things you liked about HIVE Minded might also change, hopefully for the better. Also, we're going to start things over from the very beginning of Danny Phantom, which means:

**Danny has not met Vlad yet.**

** Danny has not met the Ultimate Enemy yet.**

** Danny has not developed Ice Powers yet.**

** This fanfiction predates BOTH the Danny Phantom series and the Teen Titans series-at least, the beginning of it.**

* * *

_This is for emphasis-_

_ 'This is for internal thought'-_

"This is for speaking aloud"-

**"DC Phantom****"** - This is for scene separation.

* * *

Chapter 1 – Fenton Works, Works!

Life, for Daniel James Fenton, had taken a turn for the decidedly weird some time ago.

Specifically, fourteen days, sixteen hours, twelve minutes, and five seconds...not that he was counting or anything. Because he wasn't, really. It wasn't like he had calculated each and every second he had spent in a tenuous existence stretched between life and death, wary of every glance sent his way by parents, teachers, and bullies, twitching like a scared rabbit at the thought of anyone _finding out._ And, of course, it wasn't as though he possessed some horrible, hideous secret which was poised to utterly destroy his life and shatter the facade of normalcy which the teen clung to with all his might.

No, that was ridiculous.

Patently ridiculous.

So, of course, Daniel James Fenton had absolutely no reason to attempt to leap out of his skin when his father, Jack Fenton, greeted him with a face-splitting grin and a resounding cry of, "Danny! Glad to see you home, boy! C'mon, your mom and I need your help getting ready!"

Danny blinked, his heart rate slowing down as he came to terms with the Fenton family home-cum-Workshop. The ecto-encrusted walls had been scrubbed, displaying a shade of paint he hadn't seen except in his earliest memories, the miscellaneous bits of circuitry and gadgetry had been swept away from their various hideaways, and the household looked...almost presentable. A shiver crept up Danny's spine as he stepped cautiously into the building known as 'Fenton Works.'

"Dude," Tucker Foley, his best friend whispered from behind him, awe creeping into his voice as he looked over the startlingly-clean domicile.

"Which sign of the apocalypse is this again?" Sam Manson, his other best friend, asked lowly, the sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"It's gotta' be near the end," Danny muttered, still in something of a state of shock over this sudden revelation.

"Oh, Hi kids!" Madeline Fenton cried, wheeling a vacuum cleaner into the room. Amazingly enough, the device did not have the word 'Fenton' on it and, therefore, worked as intended; this also meant that his parents, the FENTONS, had decided to clean the house, voluntarily.

Danny opened his mouth for perhaps the third time, actually finding the words to convey the torrent of disbelief he felt:

"YOU CLEANED!"

Danny blinked again, since when did he speak in stereo?

A slightly older girl with a long mane of red hair swept around Danny and his friends, her eyes just as wide and disbelief just as plain on her face. Jasmine Fenton, aka Jazz Fenton, stalked into the house, curiosity and shock overriding common sense. _'After all,'_ Danny reflected idly, _'this wouldn't be the first time mom and dad pulled the house into another dimension.'_

"Oh, please," Maddie Fenton sighed looking exasperated even with most of her body covered in a form-fitting piece of spandex. "You all act like its unusual to come home to a nice, clean house!"

Somehow, Danny and Jazz refrained from falling to the floor in laughter.

"No, really, what's up with the spring cleaning in August?" Danny asked, finally overcoming his shock.

Maddie huffed, crossing her arms and pouting. "We're having a family dinner tonight with a very important guest."

"Guest?" Jazz asked, "Is it your parents or Aunt Alicia?"

"Yeah," Danny sniped, "Who else would be crazy enough to come here?"

Everyone took great care not to mention Jack Fenton's side of the family.

Maddie rolled her eye...goggles at her teenaged son, "For your information young man, the person arriving tonight is a representative of Tech Conglomerate Inc, our main investor and the group that keeps Fenton Works in the black!"

Danny, Jazz, and the two other teens blinked, the same thought flittering, unknowingly, through all of their minds, _'Someone actually __pays__ them to make this stuff?'_

"Which means," Maddie determined, a steely glint in her eye, "that the house and you kids need to be spic and span by the time seven o'clock rolls around or you'll both be cleaning out the ecto-drains for a month!"

"Yes mom," Danny and Jazz parroted, sighing tiredly.

"Well," Sam grinned, sliding backwards, "I think that's our que to leave, see ya' Danny!"

"Sam!" Danny cried in mock-outrage, not needing to look at Tucker to know he was preparing to jump ship also. "Aren't you guys gonna' stay and help? What happened to 'through thick and thin?'"

"Sorry dude, I've got homework," Tucker shrugged, stepping outside.

"And I've got a..." Sam floundered, trying to come up with anything that would get her out of hours of laborious cleaning in a place where toxic ooze was considered a normal working hazard, "a-family dinner!"

Both Tucker and Danny looked at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know, it sounded lame to me too," Sam sighed and slipped out the door as well.

Danny heaved at large sigh and looked back to his mother, who was holding out a mop and bucket with all manner of cleaning products dumped inside. The mop went to Jazz, the bucket to Danny. "Now, kids, the lab hasn't had a deep cleaning in I-don't-know-how-long, so get to it."

The siblings Fenton marched off, dragging their feet the whole way.

Below the living quarters of the Fenton family was an area sane men feared and two crazy parents called a laboratory. A mass of twisting wires, bubbling liquids, and nearly arcane scientific instruments was strewn across every available surface, some having been boxed for storage, others standing half-completed or in various states of repair. Despite the mess, though, a visible effort to clean up had been made, at least in comparison to how the lab usually looked.

"Sure, take the easy part and leave us the real work," Danny muttered, looking over the pandemonium around him.

"Right there with you, little bro," Jazz frowned, making her own survey.

"I'm not even sure what we're supposed to be doing," the male Fenton said, picking up a..._something_ and dropping it immediately when it began to spark and fizzle. _'Probably sensitive to spectral presences,'_ he thought darkly, eyeing the other equipment with distrust.

"Well, at least half of this stuff is junk, so why don't we throw all the boxes into the storage room and stack anything that doesn't look like it's finished? After that, we'll have some room to clean," Jazz contemplated aloud.

Danny shrugged and began the arduous task of moving his parents' vast collection of junk, failed inventions, junk, partially exploded debris, junk, unidentifiable machinery, and _junk._ Thankfully none of the gizmos or gadgets blew up as he was handling them, though a few warbled threateningly. "Hey Jazz, who do you think invests in the stuff mom and dad makes, anyway?"

The redhead swept aside her hair and shrugged as she maneuvered a box into the storage room, "You heard mom, some technology conglomerate or something, why?"

Danny frowned, "I don't know...I mean...most of what they make explodes or implodes or...I just wander what happens to the stuff that actually _works_, ya' know?"

Jazz rolled the idea around in her head for a moment, wondering why she'd never pondered it before. "No idea...I mean, if mom and dad are being funded by someone...technically all of this belongs to them, I guess."

"Yeah, but what do they _do_ with it?" Danny asked curiously.

The female Fenton sibling's forehead creased in thought, "Well, I imagine they'd refine the idea and either sell it or put it into production. That's how business works little bro."

"Okay," Danny heaved, leveraging an especially heavy mechanism, "But-_oof_-who'd _need_ an Electro-Spectral Analyzer? Or whatever that whirly thing-a-mabob they put together last month was?"

"No idea," Jazz grunted, moving to help her brother, "Why don't you ask whoever it is that's coming to dinner tonight?"

The piece of junk hit the storage room floor loudly making the Fenton siblings cringe. "Politely," Jazz preempted as she saw Danny's mouth open, "Or else you'll be cleaning out the ecto-drains, remember?"

Danny made a face, looking to the small circular grills all over the lab floor. The last time he'd stuck a hand in there, it had been green for a week...although, he wasn't half-ghost last time, either. Still, he rather not offend their guest and be stuck with cleaning duty. With his luck, the drain pipes would be haunted by a ghost that wanted to kick his ass or something. '_I'm really getting sick of all this ghost mess.'_

**DC Phantom**

His shirt had been starched and pressed, he was wearing slacks, and his hair had even been coerced into behaving for the night. Jazz had her hair in a braid and their mother had, somehow, gotten her to wear a dress; save for the few small facial tics, which indicated she was quite angry, that Danny was able to pick out one might be tricked into thinking that this was a normal outfit for her. Jack and Maddie had even peeled off the jumpsuits for a night and looked like normal human beings.

It was actually a little scary.

Still, it was very nearly a typical, average family which stood in the living room of Fenton Works, a building which had been scrubbed, organized, and polished to within an inch of it's foundation. Overall, Danny was fairly sure that the structure hadn't been this clean since before his family had moved in. The cleaning had truly been an arduous undertaking, but thankfully nothing had exploded, which all of the Fentons were somewhat amazed at, even though Jack and Maddie didn't want to admit it.

"Now remember everyone," Maddie began, "It's very important that we make a good impression on whoever the Tech Conglomerate sends. They've bought quite a few designs from us over the years and gave us the start-up capital to open Fenton Works in the first place, so best behavior!"

"Yes mam," Danny and Jazz chorused.

_Knock-Knock!_

Maddie smiled and moved to get the door, giving Jack a warning glance in the process even as Danny discretely checked that all his body parts (and his pants) were present and accounted for. When he heard his mother open the door, Danny's eyes darted back just in time to catch the first glimpse of...whoever it was. The definitively male figure was tall and thin, looking almost sickly, but not quite; he had the sharp angular features that reminded Danny somewhat of a bird of prey...with graying hair. The charcoal gray suit had been neatly and cleanly pressed, giving the man an air of respectability that was amplified by a walking stick, attache case, and a black fedora perched on his head.

"Welcome to Fenton Works," Maddie smiled, gesturing for her guest to enter with a wide sweep of her hand.

"Indeed," The man noted coolly, his right brow arching as he surveyed the room, cold eyes lingering on the inhabitants before sweeping onward. "It was certainly the easiest laboratory I've ever had to find."

Danny cocked his head, _'I'm not so sure I like this guy.'_

"That's Fenton Works for ya," Jack grinned exuberantly, raising a triumphant fist, "No one will every have a problem finding us!"

"Quite," The man nodded, his eyebrow rising still further as he looked at Jack Fenton, seemingly torn between scorn, amusement, and disbelief. "My name is Dr. Robert Sanguine, and I'm here to appraise some of your in-progress works and completed inventions. If you would, show me to your lab complex?"

"Ah, I thought we might have dinner first? It would give us a chance to talk about a few of our long-term projects and the overall advances we've made in Ghost Research," Maddie entreated, her voice involuntarily granted the words 'ghost' and 'research' capitalization. "Here, Danny can take your coat, hat, and briefcase while Jazz can show you to the dining room."

Danny stepped forward, almost regretting the action as he saw clear refusal on the man's face. Still, as the teen moved, Dr. Sanguine's eyes swiveled to lock onto Danny's and a curious expression flitted over the his visage. Just like with his father, Dr. Sanguine seemed torn between several emotions when he set eyes on Danny; surprise was chiefly among them, followed closely by curiosity and some further complex mix which the teen couldn't identify. Almost...reluctantly, the man turned back towards Maddie, nodding acceptance and handing his belongings over to Danny absently, "Very well, I suppose it has been several hours since I last ate...now, about your stated research goals..."

The voices trailed off as Danny moved towards the hall coat-rack and the guest moved towards the dining room. A relieved Daniel Fenton took his time putting away the man's things and pondering the very..._odd_ way the man had reacted to him, _'I wonder if I had something on my face?'_

A dark thought erupted and the teen caught a quick glimpse of himself in the hall mirror, giving himself a quick once-over, _'Nothing invisible or glowing...not even my eyes, thankfully. Hmm...I wonder what it was? I could have sworn that he was going to say 'no,' but...'_

Shrugging, Danny chalked it up to general weirdness and turned back to the dining room, where Dr. Sanguine had taken the seat next to where the youngest Fenton normally sat. Thinking nothing of it, the boy sat next to his family's guest and gave him a smile which was only somewhat forced.

"Daniel, was it?" The doctor asked.

"Yes sir, but everyone calls me Danny," the teen nodded.

"Hmm," Dr. Sanguine frowned thoughtfully, "I wonder if you would permit a scientist's curiosity?" Danny nodded, somewhat confused. "Very good, what do you know in regards to your parents' exploits in their research?"

Danny stiffened very, _very_ slightly, but responded easily enough. "Well...I'm familiar enough with most of their inventions. At least, the ones that are safe enough to handle." _'And some that aren't,'_ he thought ruefully.

"Interesting," Dr. Sanguine nodded, "And what could you tell me regarding-"

**DC Phantom**

The evening continued, the Fenton's guest proving an amicable enough conversationalist that Danny thought he might have misjudged the man. Every now and then, the doctor would even make the effort to include either of the Fenton children in the discussion, asking pointed and insightful questions on several different topics, though whether he was satisfied by the answers they gave would be anyone's guess given how deep in thought the man sometimes drifted.

Dinner provided several nuggets of information regarding the man himself and the company he represented, as when Jazz asked the probing question of what, exactly, his doctorate was in. Dr. Sanguine took a sip of water before replying, "Parapsychology and psychology, actually, Jasmine. That was actually why my organization sent me to assess your parents: I seemed uniquely qualified."

Jazz's eyes glittered at the mention of 'psychology,' her interest rising greatly, "Really? I was thinking about majoring in psychology when I went to college in a year...although I wasn't sure about how the employment field would be in four or five years."

"That is quite a coincidence," the older man muttered. "Well, I can tell you that there will always be a place in the world for someone who knows their way around a person's mind." He seemed to smile at some inside joke, here. "Why my position actually necessitates a good understanding of the human psyche; I very much need to know when one of my company's investments has been...taken advantage of illicitly. To do that, 'reading' a person is important, being able to tell when you're being told the truth or when you're being lied to, for instance."

Jazz nodded, fascinated, while the Fenton parents looked a tad worried.

"Don't be concerned," the doctor remarked, grinning, "I haven't found any misdirection or untruthfulness in this meeting yet."

Jack and Maddie smiled, relieved.

"Thankfully, this is nothing like my last meeting," Dr. Sanguine sighed.

"Why's that?" Maddie asked, morbidly curious.

"Well," Dr. Sanguine considered for a moment, "I was investigating the assets of the Spengler Research Group-"

"-Really!" Jack cried, his boisterous nature coming to the fore, even though his wife looked just as excited.

"What's the big deal about the...what was it?" Jazz asked.

Maddied frowned, "The Spengler Research Group is one of the premier parapsychological research groups in the world. It was started by Egon Spengler, who is a retired veteran of the field, but I had no idea we were sponsored by the same corporation as they were!"

"Yes, quite," Dr. Sanguine nodded, seemingly annoyed by the interruption. "At any rate, one of their interns has been embezzling funds for a private project. Thankfully, it seems we will be able to settle the matter in-house rather than contacting law enforcement."

"That's awfully nice of you, letting the person make amends rather than having him or her arrested," Jazz inputted.

Dr. Sanguine snorted lightly and repeated, "Yes. Quite."

"So this Spengler guy researched ghosts too?" Danny asked, receiving a nod from Jack, Maddie, and their guest. "And you're funding his...group, too? Um...Dr. Sanguine, could I ask exactly what you do with all of this ghost research? I mean, out of curiosity?"

The older man blinked raising a hand to his chin and giving Danny an appraising look, waiting a moment before answering. "Well, I specifically don't do anything with the research itself, if that is what you're asking. Ultimately, my organization is centered around the development of new technologies. The study of the paranormal, in this case 'ghosts,' is merely one facet of our technological growth. Our ultimate aim when we invest in researchers is in the hope that they will develop something which we will be able to refine for sale to either the general populous or a specific consumer niche."

The doctor paused, taking a long drink from his glass and thinking on the matter some. "When such an advancement is made, we typically reinvest the profits or allocate them to one of the organization's other interests..." A strange gleam entered his eye here, "for instance, I'm also under the employment of the branch of my organization which specializes in education."

"Oh, I didn't know the Tech Conglomerate ran a school," Maddie gushed, feeling validated that she had been helping to fund an educational institution.

"Indeed," Dr. Sanguine nodded, "We have a variety of interests, such as a private security firm, a political analysis branch, and a special acquisitions group, as well as the school I mentioned. Of course, the school is mainly for children with special needs, those who perform at a higher level than normal...students."

"Amazing!" Jack enthused. "You guys must really have it together to have your fingers in so many pies!"

"I suppose," Dr. Sanguine ceded, "but enough about me. I really must be getting on with my assessment. I you would, show me to your lab?"

**DC Phantom**

It was long after the Fenton children had been dismissed, the three adults off to talk shop and discuss the implications of the Fentons' research. Danny and Jazz had happily sequestered themselves in their rooms, Jazz to tie up the phone line and Danny to finish a well-procrastinated assignment for the acrimonious Mr. Lancer. With everyone happily ensconced in their proper places, it came as a definite surprise when someone knocked on the youngest Fenton's door.

Blinking, Danny stood up, feeling joints pop back into place as he moved to open the door; if it was a surprise for someone to come calling, it was almost shocking for him to realize that the graying doctor was the one at his door. "Oh, um...hi, sir! Was there...something you needed?"

"In a manner of speaking," Dr. Sanguine asked, "May I come in?"

"Uh...sure," Danny replied hesitantly, "where are my parents?"

"Actually, I think they're setting up a demonstration of something they call the Fenton Foamer. Meanwhile, I requested a bit of your time, which your parents were kind enough to grant...with your permission of course?"

"Oh...okay," Danny nodded, still blinking in surprise, "Um...what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, a few things, I suppose," Dr. Sanguine started. "Specifically, your school. Do you like it?"

"Well," Danny considered, his eyes flickering towards the door self-consciously. "I...like my friends."

A skeptical eyebrow rose, "Admirable...though I notice you didn't answer my question."

Danny sighed, staying silent for a moment before confessing, "I _hate_ my school. I mean, it's bearable with my friends there, but my teachers are jerks and they always look the other way when the jocks start bullying kids-"

"-like you," Dr. Sanguine interrupted, tapping his chin as he looked at Danny curiously, even as Danny blushed in shame.

"Like me," Danny confirmed. "And I just don't...don't-"

"Fit in?" Dr. Sanguine asked, sitting down on Danny's bed. "Perhaps...strange things happen around you? _Abnormal _things? Things that your schoolmates wouldn't understand?"

Danny's head shot up from where he'd been staring at his shoes, looking at the older man with wide, frightened eyes. '_Did he know? No, how could he possibly-but, then...if he didn't know...'_ "Sorry, I d-don't know what you're talking about."

Dr. Sanguine quirked his brow, standing up now, "Perhaps a demonstration, then? I imagine you're not being completely truthful Danny...maybe you're hiding something? Something like this?" Dr. Sanguine asked, stretching out his open palm as his hand was encompassed in a red glow. A model rocket across the room glowed in a similar fashion and shot towards the elder man's hand.

Danny's jaw dropped.

"As you can see young man, I am more than familiar with the stranger side of life," Dr. Sanguine grinned.

"H-how did you know?" Danny asked, dropping onto his bed tiredly.

"It's actually very simple," the older man stated, "While I am capable of telekinesis, my greater skills lie in the field of telepathy and you, my young friend, are completely immune to telepathy. When I couldn't feel your mind, I immediately knew you were something special but, seeing as how this seems to be news to you, I do wonder at the abilities you _are_ aware of. Having an inviolate mind is a highly desirable trait, but... Seeing as how I have given a demonstration, would you mind reciprocating?"

Danny looked up, startled, at the mention of an acquired immunity to psychic powers, something he hadn't known to exist until right then. Belatedly, he realized that he'd been asked a question and stood. "I uh...what do you mean?"

Dr. Sanguine frowned now, looking slightly irritated. "Your abilities boy, show me a little of what you can do!"

Danny nodded, looking for the well of power inside him, that strange 'switch' which had appeared the moment of the accident, when his body had become half human, half ghost...half-alive, half-dead. Still, he paused with his metaphorical finger on the button, caution making him wary. Yes, the doctor _had_ shown him that he, too, wasn't 'normal' in the strictest sense, but...

Once he showed this man what he _really _was, there was no going back. This was the point of no return, and he was at the very brink. His hand shied away from the final 'push towards his ghost half as he leveled a serious eye at the doctor, "Why are you doing this? Why are you up here anyway? What's so important to you about _me _being special?"

Instead of further irritation, the man suddenly smiled, though it was a cold expression that made it's way onto his face. He almost seemed...happy? at Danny's initial refusal. "Well, I suppose it would seem a bit strange to you, an odd man walking into your home one day and demanding to see proof of a horrible secret?"

The elder man hesitated a moment, then nodded to himself, as if coming to a decision. "What if I were to offer you an _alternative_ to returning to your school? Instead, how would you feel if I said there was a school, one _you _could go to, for people like us? You are young, yet, and I would wager that despite any amount of experience, you most likely have some problems controlling whatever powers you have, correct?"

Danny winced as the other man hit the nail on the head.

"We could teach you a great many things beyond your powers, of course: advanced technology, weapons use, surveillance and counter-surveillance, although we have other fields of study if that is where your interests lie," Dr. Sanguine looked around the room, "Astrophysics, for instance...or advanced rocket science and propulsion?"

Danny swallowed deeply, the tacit implication of his dream was tempting, but... "Weapon use? Surveillance? What kind of school is this?" Danny asked warily, his suspicions aroused.

"Well, at dinner I did say we controlled a private security firm? My organization has found that in-house training is usually the best for that sort of thing, however the education this school provides also well-equips any individual seeking a career in the military, police organization, or freelance investigative work." Sanguine grinned coolly again, leaving out the fact that no one _actually_ pursued those types of careers.

Danny's face shifted to contemplative, Sanguine's points did make sense...it would be useful for a soldier to know how to use a gun for instance. "And...I could go there? What's the catch?" It seemed to good to be true.

"None for you," Sanguine replied offhandedly. At Danny's inquiring look, he shrugged, "We take in quite a number of orphans and homeless children...our ideal type of student seems to be the kind that many parents throw out of their homes after learning of their peculiarities. These students sign agreements to work for the company for a few years to pay off their education. In your case, I think your parents and I can come to an arrangement."

Danny winced again, though he suspected the man had a valid point...after all, a parent was bound to freak out if their kid started glowing, or turning invisible, or shooting ecto-blasts. Still, that was a point that struck to close to home. Given the fact that his parents were ghost hunters and he was _half-ghost_, it was all too disturbing to imagine what would happen when their worlds collided. It was almost daily that one of his parents' devices 'malfunctioned' and detected a ghost, or one of his 'powers' went off unexpected in the middle of class, further cementing his status as a clumsy freak, or a ghost happened to pop out of the portal and threaten his friends...something which was becoming a distressingly common occurrence.

"Of course," Sanguine stated, drawing Danny from his musings, "I will need 'proof' of your exceptionally before we can discuss the matter further...I suppose you could call that the 'catch,' if you wanted."

Danny bit his lip, torn between the offer and declining, sticking to what he knew, but... "Can I have some time to decide?"

Sanguine looked him over, an appraising glint in his eye, then nodded. "Very well. I have a plane to catch tomorrow, but I'll be passing through this town next week and I'll stop by. You should have an answer ready by next Wednesday."

Danny nodded.

…

Two hours later, his curiosity regarding the Fentons not at all sated, the man known to some as Dr. Robert Sanguine and to many more as Brother Blood, stood outside the strange structure of Fenton Works, pulling a cellphone from the inner pocket of his coat. Pressing a single button, he lifted the device to his ear and waited. On the third ring, someone at the other end picked up.

"It is late, Blood. For your sake, I hope this is important."

Brother Blood smiled, the expression looking sinister in the half-light of the street lamps. "Headmistress, good to hear from you as well. I believe we have a new recruit."

"Really?" The Headmistress of the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination's Academy for Extraordinary Young People asked, her tone betraying disbelief.

"Indeed..." Blood continued, explaining the situation as he walked off into the night.

**DC Phantom**

"Whoa," Tucker summed up.

"Damn," Sam muttered.

"Exactly," Danny nodded.

There was a long silence as both of his friends took in the bombshell he'd dropped. He'd explained the entirety of the evening, including the doctor's offer of a different school and the demonstration of telekinesis. He'd already thought the matter over for two days, even before bringing it to his friends' attention. Each looked fairly shocked that such a school existed at all, though it made a certain kind of sense that no one _would _know about such thing given the probable student body.

"So, like a school for superhumans, huh? I wonder if any big-name superheroes went there? Like Superman or the Dark Knight?" Tucker asked distractedly.

"Thanks, now I've got this image of Batman in jeans, a t-shirt, and a cowl," Sam snorted.

"I guess anything's possible," Danny admitted doubtfully. "Though I really don't know if I _want_ to be a superhero. Honestly, I'd just like it if all my limbs would stay visible and substantial."

As if to prove his point, the arm he'd been leaning on suddenly passed through the table, landing his chin painfully on Tucker's table. "Ow," the half-ghost cried, waving the translucent arm in the air, "See what I mean!"

"Yeah, it's gotta' be _so hard_ having ghost powers and kicking spectral butt every time a nasty spook pops up," Tucker lamented sarcastically.

"Lay off, Tucker," Sam chastised. "Danny _has_ a choice. I mean, you've seen how scraped up he gets fighting those things. If there's a school that will teach him how to control his powers, I say he should seriously think about it."

Danny flexed his arm, having finally gotten it to return to a solid state and frowned. "But what will happen if I'm not here to deal with the ghosts?"

Tucker shrugged, "Well, if you went away to school, it's not like we'd be hanging around Fenton Works as much...that's usually where the ghosts are, right?"

"But not always." Sam sighed, acknowledging Danny's point. "Remember yesterday, with the Lunch Lady? That happened at school."

"It wouldn't have if you didn't put those stupid 'turf-witches' on the menu," Tucker grumbled.

Even as Sam opened her mouth for what was doubtless a fiery rebuttal, Danny raised his hand and voice, "Guys! Not really the time right now...you can argue later."

The ultra-recyclo-vegetarian swallowed her retort with visible difficulty, but grimaced at the reminder. "Fine. Well, your parents _are_ ghost hunters, right? I mean, I know your dad's a bit of a goof, but your mom makes up for it...and it _is _their job."

"And they were at the school," Tucker added. "Just, the wrong side of it. And, hey, now that the Fenton Thermos works, that gives them a leg up, right?"

"Right," Danny nodded, perking up. His parents weren't _ideally_ suited to fighting ghosts, but they _did_ have years of training, a cache of weaponry that would make most third world countries nervous, and the added advantage of not scaring the pants off everyone they saved.

Just most of them.

"So is that a 'yes' to the whole school thing?" Sam asked, sounding somewhat disheartened.

"I don't know," Danny admitted. "I should at least talk it over with my parents." His friends eyes widened. "Leaving out the whole 'ghost powers' thing, of course. I'll just give them some BS about Dr. Sanguine hearing me complain about Casper High and offering the company's school instead. He even mentioned it at dinner, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Good plan," Tucker nodded. "I like the part where it doesn't involve a Danny-dissection."

"Tucker!" Sam cried, outwardly angry at his disregard for politeness, inwardly cringing at her friend giving Danny _yet another_ reason for leaving Amity Park.

"Hey, what do you guys think I should do?" Danny asked suddenly, looking up from where he had been playing with a small green ecto-light glowing on the end of his pointer finger. "Should I pull an 'ET'," the half-ghost brandished his finger, "and go hang with the rest of the freaks or stick it out here?"

"You're not a freak dude," Tucker denied, Sam right on his heels.

"Tucker's right," Sam nodded...then paused, "And I can't believe I just said that, but what's important is what _you_ want to do, not what you think you should do because of what we think. If you want to go to this school, that's fine, but don't do it because you're afraid of your parents or that jerk Dash at Casper High. Do it because you think it's the best thing for you."

Danny smiled, honestly smiled for the first time in days before grabbing both of his friends in a big hug. "Thanks guys...I don't know what I'd do without you." Pulling away, the half-ghost teen gave them a somewhat watery smile, "But it looks like I might have to pretty soon."

"Dude, you know we've got your back, whatever you decide," Tucker repeated, tapping Danny on the arm with a closed fist.

"Ditto," Sam grinned, "I guess we'll just have to get used to not seeing your sad mug around as much."

Danny sighed, "Now, I've just got to break the news to mom, dad, and Jazz."

**DC Phantom**

"...and I think I'd like to at least try the different school out," Danny finished.

His parents were uncharacteristically solemn as they looked at him, considering the teen before them. Maddie's eyes...goggles were watering, while Jack appeared to be choking on something. Jazz seemed torn between an enthusiastic grin and a curiously irritated expression. The half-ghost whet his lips, trying cautiously to solicit a response at his parents' continued silence, "So, what do you guys think?"

"Oh, Danny!" His mother cried, practically leaping across the room to capture her son in a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Guh!" Danny responded eloquently, his breath taken away from the hug.

"Way to go Dann-O!" Jack grinned, seeming to teleport to Danny's side. "We're proud of you son!"

"Huh?" Danny asked, blinking in confusion. "What?"

"Danny," Maddie sighed in exasperation, though she looked happily tolerant of it at the moment, "You've obviously given a lot of thought to this and that means you're thinking about your education and your life. That's a very adult action, son."

"Oh," Danny replied, the realization that he'd actually put effort into deciding his future a little astonishing.

Jazz palmed her face, grinning in a distant way. "Well, little bro, I'm proud of you too. You're usually so..."

"So..." Danny asked, wondering if should feel insulted.

Jazz shrugged. "I don't know, but I just haven't seen you put a lot of thought into what you're doing before now."

Danny frowned even as his sister sighed in frustration, "Don't...it's not a _bad_ thing, necessarily, Danny. I just mean-"

"You're growing up, sweetie," Maddie interrupted, smiling.

"That's right Danny," his father grinned, having evidently vanished sometime during the conversation when Danny was distracted, because he thundered into the room now, carrying a spare jumpsuit. "You're growing up son, which means it's about time for you to have this!"  
The rest of the family blinked.

"I had two made! One for Jazz and one for you, but your sister doesn't seem interested in ghost fighting, so...well, I had thought you would both be swimming in my family's side of the gene pool. The side that's full of nachos and Fudge!" Jack grinned, putting the capitalization of his favorite food in with audible significance. "Lots and lots of Fudge!"

Maddie sighed, "Jack, Danny's already got a jumpsuit. You remember that black and white one? Whatever happened to it, I wonder?"

"I don't think I'll be needing it!" Danny interjected nervously, attempting to derail his mother's train of thought. "I mean, after all, it would be weird if I showed up to my new school wearing a jumpsuit!" _'Well, I hope not...don't most superhumans wear weird costumes, though? I mean, __Superman wears a unitard and cape, Green arrows wears...a lot of green. I guess it is a little ironic that I'm going to a place my parents' fashion sense feels right at home at.'_

Maddie nodded, effectively forgetting about the errant jumpsuit, "You're right honey! You're going to need a whole set of new clothing, school supplies, and we'll have to see about a cell phone. I want you to be able to call us if you need us."

Jazz brightened, seeming to latch on to one of the few things she and her mother had in common. "Ooh! They're having a sale right now at the Megamart!"

Danny blinked and looked at his father.

Jack sighed and slapped his son on the back, "Well, it was nice knowing you Dann-o! If you make it through your mom's shopping trip in one piece, come down to the lab and I'll load you out with ghost-hunting stuff for your new school."

Danny blinked once more in confusion, looking between his rapidly retreating father and his plotting sibling and mother, before cocking his head and wondering why an impending pall of doom was suddenly crawling down his back. _'Come to think of it, I haven't been on a shopping trip with mom in...years. Huh, I wonder why?'_

* * *

**DC Phantom After School Special:**

* * *

A podium stands center-stage, composed of a fine, deep oak and tastefully bronzed trim. Across the dimly lit stage, a man walks, a long white coat wrapped around him. The audience (you) are utterly silent as he marches towards the podium and shuffles a stack of unruly papers. Coughing once, he nods to himself.

"Hello Readers," Slayer Anderson greets you. "For those of you who have been waiting since chapter 20 of HIVE Minded came out for new material, I'd like to apologize for disappointing you so badly with the two year wait. It was never my intention to lag so long on my writing, but...every I set down at the computer, I had an assignment, a research paper, an online project, or a job interview to get ready for. It is with my sincerest gratitude that I see you have returned for more of my sub-standard product even after so much disappointment."

Mr. Anderson coughs again, then continues, "For those of you who are new to my little corner of purgatory, I welcome you. For those of you who had no idea that this was a rewrite, be warned that the original story is still up, but will not be updated any longer. There are aspects of it that just seem...silly to me, now. Now, the review section is open, I allow anonymous reviews, and I encourage you all to use this opportunity to lambast me about how I'm a lazy no-account who needs to get a calendar, and learn to use it."

"That said," Slayer Anderson concludes, now grinning devilishly. "I'm back bitches."

A trapdoor opens up just as flaming chainsaws, rotten vegetables, and weaponized rodents begin pelting the stage. Alas, your writer has escaped his rightful punishment! To the reviews, lambast him! Lambast him I say!


	2. Chapter 2

Slayer Anderson

DC Phantom: Chapter II (1st revision)

A Danny Phantom/Teen Titans Crossover Fanfiction

07/03/2012

Summary: Danny leaves for greener pastures and arrives at a school which isn't exactly what he imagined. Amazingly, nothing explodes...much.

A/N: Ah...as to the Justice League, it doesn't exist yet. Yes, it will probably exist before I actually get to the meat of the story and involve the Titans, so Danny will be peripherally aware of the social-political shift among heroes and villains with the creation of the JL and the JLU.

* * *

Chapter 2 – School Daze Haze

* * *

Danny shifted nervously, "Guys, you really didn't have to."

"Sure we didn't," Tucker grinned. "We're gonna' let our best friend go off to Super School without a party to see him off."

"Like that would ever happen," Sam snorted, dropping unceremoniously onto her couch.

"I still can't believe you live _here_, by the way," Danny added, looking around the fabulously adorned home.

"It's not that big of a deal," Sam reiterated for what felt like the umpteenth time that evening. "You know, keep it up and this might be the first _and_ last time I invite you guys over."

"We'll behave!" Danny and Tucker chorused together.

Sam smirked and retrieved the remote to their home-entertainment system, which was really more of a home theater, complete with popcorn machine and concession stand. "Alright. I picked out all the classics and a few of the new ones. We've got the original '79 cut of Wicked Scary-"

Tucker frowned, "Aren't they remaking that?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's the news on the net, but I doubt they'll get anyone good enough to replace Bruce Parkbell."

"I heard he was going to make a guest appearance," Sam added, then shook herself. "Anyway, I also got Monster from the Brown Lake, Manor on the Spooky Knoll, Night Terrors on Oak Drive, and the entire Chest-Bursters Quadrilogy."

"Can we skip the Manor on Spooky Knoll?" Danny asked plaintively, covering his eyes with an arm.

"It isn't really that scary anymore when you've seen the real, live thing," Tucker commented

"True," Sam shrugged, setting the movie aside. "I picked up a few of the current ones too: Possession one through 5 and the prequel...Aleister Crowley Vs. Jack the Ripper: Showdown in Hell...oh, and New Mexico Ice Pick Slaughter."

"Oh, come on!" Tucker gripped, "That one isn't even a horror flick, just a B-movie slasher that got top billing."

"Heresy!" Sam cried, "You can't say that about a Rob Ghoul movie!"

"Guys!" Danny yelled, eager to preempt another argument on a subject which had seen the best and worst of points from both parties. "We'll watch something else! How about Night Terrors? I mean, we haven't watched that since...last year?"

Sam and Tucker gave each other a bitter look that meant the argument was far from over, but an unspoken peace was declared between the two for Danny's last weekend in Amity. "Alright," Tucker sighed, "It has been a while since we saw that one...we're watching the original, right?"

"Sha!" Sam snorted, nodding. "We went to see the remake in theaters, remember? They butchered it."

"_That's_ something we can all agree on," Danny grunted sourly from where he had stretched out across a large plush armchair.

As all three settled in to watch the movie playing on the screen, Tucker cocked his head. "Hey, is Jimmy Luger a ghost?"

Sam and Danny blinked, contemplating the question as the movie played. Sam shrugged, propping her feat up on the table in front of them, "Huh...I don't know, he might be. Care to weigh in, resident expert?"

Danny snorted, not having to turn to see the sly grin on his friends' faces. "Maybe...I mean, if we go by the original set before they started with that whole weirdness in number 5, I wouldn't think so. Some of the stuff he does is a little 'out there' even for ghosts, remember what he does in the end?"

"That's right," Tucker nodded, though he didn't sound convinced. "But he still overshadows people, doesn't he?"

"Technically," Danny admitted. "But overshadowing doesn't really work like that in real life. I've never heard of a ghost which can only jump you when you're asleep, that looses it's power when you wake up, and doesn't have a 'real' body. Jimmy Luger just jumps from one sleeping person's dreams to another...we never see him when they're awake."

"Unless you count number 7," Tucker reminded them.

"We're not!" Sam and Danny cried simultaneously as they groaned loudly.

"As far as I'm concerned, the franchise ended at movie 5," Sam stated bluntly.

"Ditto," Danny agreed, reaching to slap a high-five with his best female friend.

"I still don't get why you guys don't like 6 through 8," Tucker shook his head sadly. "They aren't _that_ bad."

"Yes they are," Danny replied. "First off, _my life_ is way scarier nowadays than any of those movies. Second, you can't just take established rules and throw them out the window."

"Third," Sam added, not willing to be left out, "They lost all of the old cast, the directors, and the producers; 6 through 8 were just milking a cash cow dry."

"Alright! Alright! Sorry I brought it up," Tucker conceded. "Still, you've got to admit you've got an unfair advantage on point number one Danny."

The youngest Fenton sighed. "Dodging ghosts left and right, watching my parents fight a miniature _war_ and not being able to help for fear of being 'pulled apart molecule by molecule,' yeah...real unfair advantage there. At least, the 'unfair' part."

Tucker winced from both Danny's dark tone and Sam's dark glare. "Sorry dude, didn't mean it like that."

"I know," Danny shrugged bitterly. "I just...I'm gonna' miss you guys loads, but I can't wait to get out of here. Did you know I can't even Go Ghost in my own home anymore? My parents fine-tuned the sensors after that _incident _with the biker ghost."

This time both his friends winced.

"In his defense," Sam replied cautiously, "Your parents _did_ happen to catch his girlfriend when they escaped the Ghost Portal."

"Kidnapping Jazz didn't help his case," Tucker argued.

"It wasn't like my parents were listening," Danny groused irritably. "'Evil Ghost' this and 'Dangerous Spook' that. If I hadn't-"

There was a sudden pause where the only sound in the room was a blonde teen's terrified scream on the silver screen.

Then Sam hit 'pause' and the silence was complete.

"-if you hadn't?" Sam repeated, pressing a hand to her face.

"Done absolutely nothing and sat quietly in a corner?" Danny asked hopefully, looking to the ceiling in a reasonable impersonation of innocence.

"Dude," Tucker groaned.

"Alright!" Danny cried, holding up his hands to forestall the chastisements about to rain from his friends already-open mouths. "I talked to Johnny and got him to agree to let Jazz go if I could get Kitty out."

"Johnny? Kitty?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Johnny Thirteen," Danny replied, "The biker ghost. He's actually not a bad guy; he and his girlfriend, Kitty, just wanted to slum it in the human world for a while. They have no idea who I am, Jazz got home safe, and Mom and Dad think their equipment malfunctioned, happy?"

"Danny, you know what could have happened," Sam warned. "I thought we agreed to leave the ghost fighting to trained professionals?"

"Normal ghosts?" Danny asked rhetorically, "Sure, no problem. Ghosts that kidnap my sister that I can do something about?"

"Danny has a point, Sam," Tucker stated and Danny looked to him thankfully. "Jazz was being held hostage and she _doesn't_ have anti-ghost training, gadgets, or powers."

"Okay," Sam relented, not seeing much ground to argue on given that the situation had resolved itself peacefully and Danny remained largely unknown. "Just be careful, if your parents think you're an easy mark, that could be trouble. If you were going to be hanging around long-term, I'd seriously suggest getting some self-defense tips or fighting experience with other ghosts so that you'd know how to defend yourself, but..."

Danny sighed again, "I'm not gonna' be around long-term, am I?"

Tucker plastered a smile, "Come on, dude, that doctor-guy gave you full scholarship, right? I bet his floaty-mind-powers were nuthin' against an ecto-beam."

The half-ghost mustered a smile at that, Dr. Sanguine _had _been impressed, almost amazed at the diversity and strength of his abilities.

"Anyway," Sam interrupted, "I guess that's why Jazz has been learning how to use an ecto-gun right?"

"Pretty much," Danny nodded. "Mom and Dad are insisting that we _both_ learn how to at least aim one. I think they're going to put together a 'goodie bag' for my new school. Jazz getting grabbed really freaked them out."

"And that's enough of that," Tucker interjected. "We've got a slew of horror classics to make it through and we're going nowhere fast. On with the movie!"

"Fine, fine!" Sam cried with playful irritation.

The night fell silent save for the languid creation of happy memories over a night of scary features and impending separation of dear friends.

**DC Phantom**

His parents had been strangely subdued when it came time for him to get on the plane, each of them getting slightly teary and attempting (on his father's part at least) to hide it as much as possible. His mother had no such concerns and spent a few minutes crying over him and subsequently cleaning out her goggles which had been filled to the brim with tears. Jazz had been mostly dry-eyed, but had also nearly hugged the life out of him three times. Sam and Tucker had already said most of their 'goodbyes,' but had come to see him off: Tucker giving him a brotherly half-hug and Sam lingering just a bit too long on her hug.

They both pretended not to notice each others' blushes.

Ultimately, the flight over had come as a true test of his patience and exactly how much he could second-guess himself. Despite the fact that he'd had plenty of time to think about what he was doing over the last few weeks, it was a wonder he didn't go made after several hours of being forced to sit and do absolutely nothing, but think. Unbidden, questions _popped_ into his mind that he thought he'd long-since answered.

_Was he doing the right thing?_

_ Were his parents going to be okay ghost-hunting without him?_

_ Was he abandoning Tucker and Sam by leaving?_

_ Di he remember to pack Sam's going-away present of the latest Humpty Dumpty CDs?_

Well, okay...except for that last one, the _other _questions had nearly driven him mad and stepping off the airplane would be the final chance to turn back.

Later, he would chalk it up to a combination of panic, home-sickness, and stress, but for a moment that step seemed to cement the reality that he had not only left home, but was entering a whole new world where he would, ultimately, be on his own. For a long moment, the urge to get back on the plane (or better yet, _fly_ back to Amity Park) was almost suffocating, then the moment passed by like a cool gust of air and he was left standing alone among the throng of people moving about the Jump City Air Terminal building, melancholy stinging the back of his throat as he swallowed away the lingering sadness.

"Mr. Fenton?"

Danny started, almost leaping out of his skin as he turned to look at a man in a charcoal gray suit and sharp angular features. Between his graying hair and pronounced chin, Danny easily recognized him. "Dr. Sanguine, hi! I didn't know you were going to be meeting me...and you can call me Danny, you know?"

Sanguine smiled coolly and lied through his teeth, "I wasn't, but my schedule happened to clear up and I wanted to make sure you were settled. Besides, given that I was familiar with you, it seemed easier just to inform the Headmistress that I would be picking you up."

Danny nodded, clearly putting no more thought into the matter.

"Now, I think we've spent enough time lollygagging," Sanguine noted, casting a glance behind him to a pair of muscular men wearing black suits and sunglasses and gesturing with his right hand, "Take his things."

One of the men nodded and picked up the two large duffle bags with no apparent effort. Danny waved away the other man's grasping hand when it reached for his backpack, "That's okay, thanks, though."

"Come along, then," Dr. Sanguine beckoned. "We have a bit of a drive ahead of us, Danny."

"Sure," Danny nodded, following in the elder man's wake as they left the cleanly polished steel and glass of the ultramodern structure. "This place is so different from Amity Park...so much newer."

"Indeed," Sanguine murmured, "Jump City is quite modern by the standards of the American East coast's architecture. Although sightseeing is not one of the points of our journey, there are a few landmarks on the way I can point out."

"Cool," Danny nodded, almost blanching as they made their way outside and towards a sleek limousine. "_This_ is what we're riding in?"

Sanguine snorted in amusement at his cohort's enthusiasm. "Quite. If one wishes to get anywhere in the world, one must always travel in style."

The teen blinked, the odd koan of knowledge resonating with him. A moment of silence passed awkwardly before Danny took the initiative to ask a question, after all, he had so many. "So...I don't actually know much about this school that I'm supposed to be going to. What can you tell me about it?"

"That was one of the things I had hoped to talk to you about, actually," Sanguine replied, "You see...whatever you've imagined of The H.I.V.E. Academy for Exceptional Young People, it probably falls quite short of reality."

Danny cocked his head in curiosity as he slid onto the leather seat of the limo. Blood ran a thumb under his chin, pondering once again the best way in which to broach this rather sensitive subject. Fenton was an undoubtedly powerful piece in the game he was playing: young enough to be underestimated, but utterly immune to mind control of any sort. The latter, of course, was a double-edged sword; it meant that while the Headmistress' Enforcers couldn't read or control the boy, neither could he do so himself. So, Danny Fenton was ultimately a gamble...though describing him as a 'sure bet' would be going a bit too far.

Still, for an extraordinarily green, no pun intended, metahuman, the boy was valuable. Care would have to be taken in the boy's...adjustment to the situation he found himself in. "For starters, I suppose, you should assume your other form."

Danny's eyes cut towards the front compartment and Blood had to applaud his caution once again. Daniel's reticence to display his true power was a good indicator, he knew at least something about the value of a secret well-kept. "Do not worry," Blood smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner, "This compartment is sealed, they can neither see nor hear us."

The teen hesitated another moment before nodding, inhaling deeply and reaching into that part of his mind that functioned as a switch or door, sealing his 'powers' away in his human body. "I'm going ghost!"

Blood narrowed his eyes, unwilling to pass up another chance to observe something so...enthralling as Fenton's form shifting to that of his alter-ego due to a mere flash of bright light. _'The boy's transformation is...fascinating, a complete alteration of physical features...even having seen it once before, I almost can't believe it. He's certainly one of the more fantastical individuals I've met,'_ Blood thought with interest, remembering Danny's original 'demonstration' after the boy had given his answer. _'Immunity to psychic powers, invisibility, intangibility, __**flight**__, offensive and, perhaps, defensive energy control...and that may be just the tip of the iceberg! For him to be so powerful after only a __month...'_

Then, recalling the cry that had preceded the transformation, Blood sighed. "Danny, I believe you should refrain from vocalizing your transformation."

Danny blinked, his green eyes flashing as he digested the thought, a red stain spreading as his embarrassment grew, "Oh, um...why not? I mean it helps me um...focus on my change."

Blood blinked as well, "Ah, a trigger phrase! Well, I only warn you because yelling something like that may alert people around you to your...uniqueness, in addition to the fact that it is quite silly. Instead, you might consider merely 'thinking' it loudly."

Danny paled dramatically before nodding. "I'll, uh...keep that in mind. Why did you want me to change, anyway?"

"Because it would behoove you to keep the fact that you have two different, separate, identities to as few people as possible, those that you trust implicitly. There are those in this world that would use Daniel Fenton's family against the super-powered individual you can become," Blood explained. "You should try and stay in that form as much as possible to give people the illusion that it is your _only _form."

"Phantom," Danny interrupted.

"Pardon?" Blood asked curiously.

"Well, that's what I've been calling...myself," he replied, gesturing to himself, "when I'm like this."

"Indeed," Blood snorted humorously. "As good a name as any I suppose. Others in the H.I.V.E. will be doing likewise so you should be wary of anyone attempting to ingratiate themselves into your good graces. For instance, the name I generally go by in the Academy and in the H.I.V.E. Organization in general is Brother Blood. I chose something intimidating and ominous to cow opponents before we even enter battle." The look of surprise on the teen's face faded as the elder man explained his nom de guerre.

Danny frowned. "Aren't there rules against that sort of thing? I mean, if you're running a school full of superheroes in training?"

"Ah," Blood sighed, shaking his head. "I fear there has been a slight miss-communication. While The H.I.V.E. does teach individuals how to control their powers, we do not teach morality or ethics. Ultimately, we rely on students to teach themselves those."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach, his spectral form tensing to flex into intangibility and make a run...fly for it.

"Hmm..." Blood rumbled, aware that he had alarmed the young metahuman, but it was necessary that they get through this little bump in the road. "Permit me to answer your question with another question, Danny; have you ever done something...childish, selfish, or well..._mean_ with your powers?"

The tension that had been building in Danny suddenly stopped, embarrassment overriding any sense of anger or dread. "Um...why do you ask?" Danny replied, his face crimson.

Blood held up a hand, "No need to explain or even detail your adventures, Danny, I merely ask you keep them in mind while I explain. Now, with those experience in mind, do you feel that, by the traditional standards of morality or ethics they would be acceptable by the larger whole of society?"

Danny bit his lip, considering the complicated issue. He certainly didn't want anyone to know about his..._visits_ to the girl's locker room, or his payback against Dash and the jocks last week before, or even his petty revenge on Mr. Lancer on his last day of school. but...if they did... "No," Danny answered slowly, "I don't think people would like it very much." _'Especially some people in particular,' _Danny thought bleakly_, 'if Paulina found out I'd seen that pair of pink-'_ Danny shook his head, banishing the thought.

"Exactly," Blood grinned, pleased that his little lesson in questionable morality was going so well. "The H.I.V.E. doesn't offer lessons on 'right' or 'wrong,' merely what is legal and illegal. The outside world, those who are not born with or develop powers and abilities do not understand us. If they knew what we were capable of, they would treat us with fear and resentment. But! Even among ourselves, we are nearly all unique in the manifestation of abilities; that is why the Academy encourages young people to find their own, unique, code of behavior that they can adhere to. Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law...outside the school rules, one may do what one wishes."

"Huh," Danny grunted, rolling over the idea in his mind. _'So, at the H.I.V.E. it wasn't against school rules to-' _He cut himself off again, his blush lessened.

"I will caution you that all of the other students are bound only by that same restriction," Blood cautioned, seeing the intense...it wasn't quite curiosity on Danny's face, but something close.

"What about bullies?" Danny asked suddenly.

"If someone hits you, hit them back," Blood grinned widely, something of an animal predator in the expression. "No serious injuries and no killing, though."

"Of course not," Danny replied, stiffening at the thought. "I wouldn't-"

"-Not willingly," Blood soothed, cementing his image as the 'good guy,' "But when one gets caught up in the heat of the moment, accidents do happen. The Academy makes every effort to create a real-world environment for students, especially given the powers that some might employ. For example, although it is against the rules to cheat on exams, you may feel free to do so."

White brows furrowed in confusion, "But I thought you just said-"

"-just don't get caught," Blood finished, grinning again.

A bark of laughter caught in his throat before Danny could stop himself. Blood smiled again, "Good and Evil, Danny...these are too black and white for the real world. There is truly only power; power, and those too weak or too afraid to use it."

"This wasn't what I was expecting," Danny sighed deeply, leaning back into his seat after the elder man's words sank in.

"Reality seldom is," Blood commented.

"Hmm," Danny rumbled, nodding in agreement. His powers had, at least, taught him that much. _'When I was a kid, I dreamed about being able to fly and shoot laser beams out of my eyes just like Superman. Now that I actually have superpowers, I have to spend most of my time pretending I don't...when did superpowers get so troublesome?'_

"Sir," an intercom buzzed at the front of the passenger compartment. "We've arrived."

"Ah," Blood sighed, reaching to tap a small concealed button. "Very well." Releasing the button he looked back at Danny, "I had hoped to give you a bit more..._practical _advice, not get involved in a philosophical discussion, but-"

"Sorry," Danny interrupted, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"Such is not your fault," Blood soothed as they exited the vehicle. "It is good that you asked your questions to someone capable of answering them rather than enter the Academy misunderstanding the principles it was founded upon." Blood stood at the door of the limo and extended his hand. "Sadly, I believe this is where I must take my leave, Danny. I hope you have a very...educational year."

"Thank you, Dr. Sa-I mean, Brother Blood," Danny nodded, shaking the offered hand.

As Danny's bags were unloaded from the trunk, he took them from the large, black-suited men nearly as effortlessly as they handed them to him. His ghost form was somewhat physically stronger than his human one, after all. "Where do I go from here, sir?"

"Through that door," Blood pointed as he got back into the limo. "It will take you to the Office of Inductions and they'll tell you where to go from there."

Danny nodded his thanks and set off, never catching Blood surreptitious gaze lingering on him, judging, calculating, evaluating...

**DC Phantom**

The place he had stepped out from the car into resembled a fairly large, and empty, parking garage. The structure was a monument to undecorated asphalt and concrete, the only practical concession being the electric lights strewn about. Honestly, it felt a bit surreal to be standing, as _Phantom _rather than Fenton, in such a painfully normal place. Back in Amity, he confined his 'ghost-mode' to emergencies and the few times he managed to find a deserted park or part of town to 'practice' in. As the last echoes of Dr. San-Brother Blood's limo faded into the distance, Phantom turned towards the recessed door the older man had pointed out. Feeling a bit nervous, the half-ghost steeled himself and began walking towards the door.

"Okay," he said quietly to himself, "Your name is _Phantom_, you're a metahuman, and you're here to learn how to use your powers. No mentioning mom, or dad, or anyone from home; remember that Brother Blood said I might make some enemies here-"

Phantom stopped, sighed deeply, and continued on, "-and now you're talking to yourself. Great."

Shaking his head, Phantom stepped up to the door and, belatedly, realized there was no handle. Blinking, he looked the slab of inset metal over, searching for anything that resembled a doorknob, doorbell, or even a stupid intercom button...with no luck save for a small, ceiling-mounted security camera. Resisting the immediate urge to fade into nothingness-

If you're trying to keep a low profile, cameras of any kind = bad.

-Phantom raised his hand and waved, feeling somewhat silly and inane as he did so. "Uh hi? Is this-" he almost bit his tongue as he realized he was about to ask if this was a _secret metahuman school, 'Yeah, way to go Fenton, blowing the school's cover would be a great way to make friends on day one.'_ Looking surreptitiously around for observers and quashing the uncertainty he felt welling up, he fixed the camera with a steady gaze, "Look, I'm supposed to be here, open up or I'm coming in anyway."

A moment passed by as panicked thoughts whirled inside his mind, _'What if I just pissed someone off? Am I even in the right place? What if Blood made a mistake, oh crap what am I going to do-'_ Thankfully, a short eternity later the door split along a nearly invisible seam and allowed Phantom entrance into a small room on the other side. Breathing a sigh of relief, the half-ghost stepped into the tiny space with his luggage.

Which turned out not to be a room, Phantom noted as he took to a brief hover when the elevator began to move out of sheer surprise. Releasing a stressed chuckle, the elevator dropped like a stone; seeing as he had been standing on the third floor of the extremely normal-looking parking garage, Phantom almost expected it when the device dropped far past where the ground would have been and deep into the earth below.

Flying had given the teen a whole new perspective on matters of a vertical nature.

With a mechanical whisper of movement, the doors swept apart and revealed a single empty hallway with a door at the far end. Raising a white eyebrow, the half-ghost cautiously stepped forward, squinting curiously as he felt a wave of..._something_ wash over him. _'Whatever it is isn't painful...hmm, this feels like whenever one of mom or dad inventions 'locks on' to me. I wonder if they're scanning me with something? I really hope its not a weapon, blasting my way out of here wouldn't leave a good impression.'_

…

Unknown the the new resident half-ghost of The H.I.V.E. Academy for Extraordinary Young People, several speculative and evaluating eyes were now fixed on him from a dark room secreted away from the rest of the facility. Crouched at an impressive array of computer monitors and a wall-mounted bank of security camera footage was a misshapen troll of a man garbed in a twisted mockery of a white space suit with a strange pseudo-helmet possessed of ominously glinting eyepieces.

"Interesting," Professor Chang noted with a calculating glaze, "I think he can feel the security scans, somehow." He pointed to a freeze-frame of Phantom's face and the narrowed eyes, then the time stamp beneath it, "This is just a moment after I initiated the process."

"That shouldn't be possible," The Headmistress announced from where she stood, cloaked in shadows behind Chang. "Blood indicated his powers were all on the high-end physical side."

"Yes," Chang muttered, "But! If Blood's evaluation is correct, the ghost boy has a talent for energy manipulation. That might indicate a certain level of awareness towards high-energy particle and wave functions. Very interesting."

"He's not blocking them, is he?" The Headmistress asked pointedly, her finger straying towards a remote grasped tightly in her hand. One push of the button and her Enforcers would rush the hall and put an end to whatever scheme Blood was working this time.

"No, no," Change grinned crookedly, "There is a little interference, but that seems to be from some passive effect of his physiology. Fascinating specimen, this ghost boy." As Chang tapped a few keys, another image popped up, this one in the stark black-and-white contrasts of hospital X-rays. "His luggage is an assortment of normal items: clothing, personal hygiene products, a CD player...ah, and a small assortment of energy weapons...very nice quality, too."

"No tracking or monitoring gear?" The Headmistress asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm...no, I don't think so. If Blood is sponsoring a normal student, then he would have informed the ghost boy about the rules against bringing in outside electronics," Chang replied.

"But that would mean Blood was honest in his intentions," The Headmistress snorted in an unladylike fashion. "And we know the likelihood of _that_. No, Blood is up to something with this, he's never taken an interest in The Academy before and one of the Hierarchy for International Vengeance and Extermination's Board of Directors members doesn't involve himself in _anything_ lightly."

A small beeping shifted the duo's attention to another set of monitors, Change rolling his chair towards the screens as The Headmistress kept her gaze fixed on Phantom as he slowly, cautiously, made his way through the first stage of Security Screening, besides, she wouldn't understand the techno-jargon, that's what she had Chang for. "What is it?"

"Oh, hmm...spectrographic analysis is done and our mystery guest is much more interesting than I first thought," Chang grinned fiendishly.

"How so?" The Headmistress asked archly, dangerously.

"Well..." Chang pondered momentarily, looking at the figures displayed on the screens, "He's not a normal ghost. I've read Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, and Peter Venkman's papers on spectral and ectoplasmic makeup and this ghost boy is just a little..._off_."

"Don't make me ask again, Chang."

"Ah, hold your horses, hold your horses!" Chang scowled, "The truth is, I'm not exactly sure. It would probably take a detailed study to tell the cause, but our new student is, for lack of a better term, more _solid_ than other ghosts."

"Solid." The Headmistress repeated dubiously.

"Indeed," Chang nodded. "Ghosts, again for lack of a better word, _leak_ or emit a certain amount of ectoplasmic radiation - a mixture of harmless, but specific low-level alpha and beta waves and particles - but our ghost emits maybe _half_ as much as normal, meaning that he is much more corporeal than other spirits."

"And what does all of this mean?" The Headmistress asked finally, tiring of Chang's spiel.

"Oh, I haven't the slightest clue!" Chang grinned, delighted as he looked over his array of computer monitors. "But he will make a fascinating subject for observation, wouldn't you agree?"

No response.

The asiatic-descended man turned at the abrupt silence, only to see the irritated form of the Headmistress vanish behind a slamming door. Wincing at the violent noise, Chang shrugged and turned back to his subject, shaking his head in confusion, "Women!"

**DC Phantom**

Danny stepped through the open doorway, nearly sagging with relief as the weird vibes he'd been getting in that hall vanished as he was greeted with the first face (well, okay, not-quite 'face,' but he'd take what he could get at this point) he'd seen since he entered the building. The (probably) man wore a deep purple robe complete with a hood that obscured all of his face, save the mouth and chin, in darkness. A belt around the fabric showed off a golden-embossed and stylized 'H' on a hexagon-shaped buckle.

"Uh...hi, I'm Phantom. Brother Blood told me to come through here for registration," the teen tried optimistically, hoping that the stoic and silent figure would not remain so.

"Very good, this way, sir."

The half-ghost swallowed his sigh at the formal and strict tone. "So...this is the Academy, huh?"

"Yes sir," The purple-cloaked figure replied as he turned to lead Phantom down a hallway.

"It's very..." Phantom searched for the right word, "yellow."

"Indeed, sir, I'm lead to believe it's to fit with the H.I.V.E.'s thematic flair," The figure replied again, his voice just as dry and formal with a mocking hint of derision as he gestured to the walls.

Phantom managed to camouflage his sudden bark of laughter with a cough.

There was indeed a certain 'theme' to the construction, if one wanted to call it that. The entire corridor and, Danny guessed, structure in general, was plastered in yellow hexagons interlocking to form walls, ceilings, and floors. The overall effect was to create something like a gigantic bee hive, which obviously fit with the organization's name.

"So..." Phantom fumbled, feeling that the ice had been sufficiently broken between them, "What do I call you?"

The purple-garbed man seemed to shrug, "We aren't actually allowed to use names on duty, it makes business to personal...or something like that. I'm Enforcer 24 if you really need something to call me. We keep the law in the Academy and make sure everyone obeys the Headmistress."

"24, huh?" Phantom mumbled, shrugging off the oddity and reminding himself he needed to be more open-minded. Blood _had_ said that things would be stranger than he had expected. "Um...how does this school work exactly? When do I sign up for classes and stuff?"

"I'm not supposed to explain anything to you," Enforcer 24 sighed. "Sorry, sir, but you'll have to wait until orientation. What I _can_ tell you is that the Headmistress likes to keep everyone in the dark as much as possible, so its pretty useless to ask any of the Enforcers questions since we'll have to report back to her before we can answer you. If you get my drift."

Phantom blinked, processing the information in conjunction with Blood's remarks about trust before nodding warily, _'What have I gotten myself into?'_ Still, he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I've basically been assigned to watch you like a hawk to make sure you're not a danger to the Academy. The Headmistress doesn't really like Brother Blood so she doesn't really like you either, which means more work for me if you ask me a lot of questions that I have to include in a report to her. Mostly it comes down to the fact that I'm really lazy and would like to do as little real 'work' as possible," the Enforcer explained candidly. "Now, quiet, there's a couple of audio transmitters up ahead and then we'll hit the more heavily monitored areas."

There was a moment of stupified silence on Phantom's part as his guide's words sank in.

At least he was honest. _'Or is he?'_ The thought came unbidden to his mind. _'If Blood was right about not trusting people at the Academy with my secrets...is this guy just pretending to be nice so that I'll think he's a nice guy and confide in him anyway? But...ow, my head hurts! This whole 'secret identity' thing is a pain in the neck!'_

Phantom opened his mouth, then thought better of it and simply grunted in a vaguely positive manner. The hallway they passed was just as bland and oddly formatted as the rest of the Academy to the teen, even as he tried to pick out the secreted listening devices or hidden cameras. Neither seemed to exist, though he trusted his guide to know a little more on the matter than he did. After another set of corridors were cleared the half-ghost was convinced this entire trip was little more than a massive entanglement in the maze of passages so as to confuse him of his location. Finally, just as he was about to burst in irritation, the guide halted so suddenly Phantom almost thought he was going to run into the other man.

"We're here, sir," Enforcer 24 stated blandly, gesturing to an out-of-place-rectangle amid the hexagons plastering the walls. Stepping towards the space, the half-ghost watched as the near-invisible seam parted with another mechanical whisper. "Good luck."

Danny blinked, turning to glance at the man. Even as his quiet words had sunk in, the Enforcer was already walking away, eyes resolutely fixed down the hall and away from him. Nodding to himself, Phantom turned towards the dimly-lit open space beyond the open doorway and passed through into a modest sized auditorium with high ceilings and a brightly-lit stage towards the front. Seeing the sparsely-populated area, natural reflexes kicked in from his time in high school and the teen slipped into a seat towards the back, morbidly wondering if he would ever learn to control the low-level glow which painted a spotlight on him in the near-dark room.

Dropping his luggage into seats next to him, the half-ghost relaxed as much as possible into the uncomfortable plastic chairs that seemed to be universally common to any high-school function. A few moments passed, thankfully uneventful in nature, as the Phantom contemplated reaching for his CD player. Sadly for his unplayed media, a cloaked purple figure appeared on stage, indistinguishable from the one who had led him to the auditorium in the first place.

"Welcome," he said solemnly, "to the H.I.V.E. Academy. May I present your Headmistress who will be briefing you on the classes, codes of behavior, and lifestyle of an Academy student."

A startlingly severe woman took the stage, her shoes _click-clacking_ on the wooden floor as she marched up to the podium placed on the stage, her face seemingly permanently-pinched.

* * *

DC Phantom: After School Special

With Prof. Anderson -

* * *

"Hello class!" Prof Anderson cries, grinning unabashedly. "Yeah, I know I was trying to update in a week, but I had to trash three or four pages of the first write up cause it was, well, trash. Anyway, you may note that I'm going a little bit slower this time around. This will mean that we'll generally be spending more time in the H.I.V.E. Academy with students, teachers, and running a few low-profile missions. Unlike HIVE Minded, Danny isn't the star pupil with more experience than any other ten students. So, we'll be spending a lot more time in training as well."

"Hmm...as to what else will be different, a few reviewers have asked various questions about the plot; for instance, a few have asked about Sam/Tucker, but I'm afraid I still don't really like their characters over-much, so they'll be having minimal contact with Danny. There have also been questions about The Ultimate Enemy and other DP plot points, but you'll have to wait and see what I do about that."

"Beyond that news...the next update might be in a week or so, it's looking like that's how long it takes me to get a 'chapter-length' segment done, which dictates when I post. I don't require a total number of reviews before I post new material, but I do LIKE reviews, as most other authors do. Next chapter should be a detailed 'settling in' of the Phantom of H.I.V.E. Academy."

"Till next time, this is Prof. Anderson saying- School's Out."


	3. Chapter 3

Slayer Anderson

DC Phantom: Chapter 3

A Danny Phantom/DC 'Verse Crossover Fanfiction

07/08/2012

A/N: I'm not exactly sure how 'cannon' my interpretation of the H.I.V.E. Academy is, but I'm trying to be realistic (or at least, as realistic as possible given the subject material). In that tradition, a supervillain school doesn't really seem...well, plausible, really. I mean, where would you get money for something like that? Why would people want to basically 'throw away' money on a group of kids which may or may not return that investment. So, anyway, I decided to go with something a little more realistic than an academy for the EVULZ, feel free to comment/criticize/flame in the review.

Summary: The H.I.V.E. Academy may be both the best and worst thing to happen to Danny in his short life so far. The good news is that he feels right at home among the masks and freaky powers of his classmates. The bad...well, it _is still_ a school, and one that looks suspiciously like a high school, which he hasn't had good experiences with so far.

_This is for emphasis-_

_ 'This is for internal thought'-_

"This is for speaking aloud"-

This is for writing-

* * *

Chapter 3 – Invest in the Next Generation:

Good, Evil, & In-Between

* * *

As the Headmistress inspected the crowd, Phantom forced himself not to shiver under her icy glare. Other students, he could see, were not as reserved as he was and quivered slightly in the hard-backed auditorium chairs. Finally, after what felt like eons had passed, the woman's survey of the audience halted and she nodded minutely, seemingly satisfied. "Greetings to you all. It is my pleasure to hereby induct everyone present into the newest freshman class of the H.I.V.E. Academy. The goal of this service is to explain what, exactly, that means for a new student."

She paused here for a moment, judging the faces of the young people in the crowd.

"To be a H.I.V.E. student is to be separate, different, from even the general norm of metahumans, mundanely powerful individuals, and the merely talented masses. To be a H.I.V.E. student requires dedication, time, commitment, and above all a capacity to grow beyond what you are today. Close-minded individuals have called this Academy many things, none of them fit for polite conversation, which is why the Academy operates on a strict code of secrecy; this is the first of many rules which have been implemented for both the Organization's and your own safety."

Danny narrowed his gaze curiously and he idly pondered the woman's words, _'I wonder what she meant by that 'many names' comment?'_

"As a result of the growing emphasis on technology and the inter-connectedness of the world in conjunction with the necessary code of secrecy we maintain, all electronics beyond the complexity of audio/video recording devices have been banned from this facility. When you are assigned dorms, you will find a selection of protected electronic devices for your classwork and recreation; any individual who has been found to have broken this rule will be expelled from the Academy with _extreme _prejudice."

This time Phantom couldn't suppress a shiver at the sheer malice contained in the woman's tone.

"Those same close-minded individuals I mentioned earlier would not take kindly to a group of powerful and skilled metahumans working for their own self-betterment." Here, the Headmistress made a sweeping gesture, ending in an outstretched hand pointing towards a drop-down screen in the background of the stage. Instantly, an image of an extraordinarily muscled man clothed in red and blue appeared, followed closely by a grainy black-and-white picture of a darkly-clad figure which could barely be made out from the deep shadows, then a blurred shot of a red and gold streak in the vague outline of a man running, and finally a green-clad archer complete with bow and arrows taking aim at some off-screen point.

"These," The Headmistress stated briskly as different photos cycled through, "Are those known in the modern age as 'superheroes,' they work for the thankless good of a fickle and ambivalent public. It is not the H.I.V.E.'s goal to teach you to follow in their footsteps."

Different pictures started to intermingle. A white-face, green-haired man wearing a purple suit and a too-wide green appeared holding a comically-large handgun, the next an even more gruesome-looking person with dark gray skin, glowing red eyes, and a black body suit, and finally a disembodied brain floating in a pinkish liquid escorted by an upright-walking gorilla. The last of these caused more than a few snickers among the teenaged audience.

The Headmistress snorted derisively, "Laugh if you must, but you know some of these figures as the eponymous 'supervillains.' The majority are deranged psychopaths driven by some obsessive need for validation or some grudge against one of the slew of heroes. Neither does the H.I.V.E. teach you to follow in their footsteps."

Danny, among other students, cocked his head at that. _'What are we here for, then? I mean, I was nervous there for a sec that she was going to start in on this speech about taking over the world or something...but if we're not going to be heroes or, thankfully, villains, what's left?'_ Unbidden, Brother Blood's words on the nature of morality and the Academy's supposed role echoed in his mind.

After a long pause to let her point sink in, the Headmistress continued.

"What you will learn here at the H.I.V.E. Academy is how to utilize a certain amount of enlightened self-interest, how to prepare for the real world. We will teach you valuable occupational skills, situational awareness, and, most importantly, how to think for one's self and beyond the meager capacities of 'hero' and 'villain.' These individuals belittle their potential in pointless grudge-matches that do little but feed their own egos. Although the public lauds or decries their existence, neither party, hero nor villain, is living up to the promise of their great gifts, wasting them in a destructive contest of will neither they nor the public needs."

The audience was silent as the Headmistress' voice rose to a crescendo, various faces enthralled or entranced by the visionary the believed stood before them. Phantom, however, shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unnerved by the fervor and fire in the woman's words. _'I...guess she has a point,'_ he admitted, wondering if Superman's fights with his villains had ever benefited the people of Metropolis. _'But, she makes it sound like it's as much the hero's fault as the villain's. I mean, it's not as if the villains would be normal guys on the street if the heroes hadn't pissed...them...off.'_

Something occurred to Danny in that moment, something darkly depressing which he really wished he hadn't thought of. The two great 'escapades' he'd, unfortunately, experienced in his short time with his powers. _'The Lunch Lady was only mad because Sam changed the menu; that wasn't exactly something to get homicidal over, but I didn't like eating sod squares for lunch either. And Johnny...well, Johnny wasn't even doing anything wrong, really. My family was the one who built the Fenton Portal and then left it open for him and Kitty to come through. Then...my parents captured his girlfriend even though he wasn't threatening anyone or...'_

And...his family, the ghost-hunters, were the heroes in this mess, weren't they?

They defended humans from spectral monsters, didn't they?

But, if that was true, what did that make _him_?

Danny's vision briefly swam before his eyes as his worldview took a serious pounding, leaving him lying slack in the auditorium chair as preconception he'd always thought he'd be able to rely on were shattered. After a moment, the voice of the Headmistress pierced the fog of confusion he'd found himself in.

"Still," She smiled coolly, sharply, "I imagine you've heard enough philosophical waxing for tonight, time to get onto practical matters. For those of you who have attended a normal, human, high school, you'll find the Academy environment both very similar and very different."

Another image appeared on the screen now, this one a calendar of the month of September and Danny was glad to turn his thoughts away from depressing subject and onto the topic of school.

For once.

"Now, since tomorrow is Saturday, the faculty have decided to give you the weekend to acquaint yourselves with the facilities," the teens perked up at the implied message that they wouldn't be required to do work for another two days. "On Monday, students will begin their classes. For freshmen, this is a standard load of seven classes including a Remedial Medical Treatment course, Basic Applied Math, the beginning level of a Foreign Language, a combined Philosophy and Psychology Primer, Beginning Physical Combat, Applied History, and a Basic Technology primer. The course, on average, last six months."

The Headmistress let that sink in for a moment before nodding and highlighting a specific day on the calendar, specifically the last weekday of the month, the twenty-ninth, the thirtieth being a Friday. "I say on average because you will be given opportunities to advance ever month. On the last day of each month, or the last weekday as it is this September, each teacher will hold an optional final examination for those of you who have finished the coursework that month. This means it is technically possible, though somewhat unlikely, to finish a course each month."

A wide-ranging list of topics and classes appeared on the screen now.

"After one completes a given course, a student is allowed options. Only the first seven classes and a few others are mandatory; the remainder of your coursework during your stay at the Academy will be self-directed. The minimum number of classes a student should be enrolled in at any given time is five, the maximum is ten, barring extenuating circumstances and my own permission, of course."

Another pause in the speech, Danny spent the time picking out interesting-looking courses from the screen above. _'They actually have a class to train you how to fly? I wonder what they teach, loop-the-loops? Or maybe it's airplanes and things like that...might be cool. Advanced Technology courses...geez there are a lot of those.' _The half-ghost's jaw dropped briefly._ 'Zero-G training, really? Aw, man, I wonder how long until I can take that?'_

"Finally, I would like to take a few moments to remind our new students that their grades will determine more than when they ultimately graduate. Good marks on various subjects will grant you perks, leisure time, and other various desirable amenities. Bad marks will find these things taken away; the specifics you will find in a manual for new students left in your dorm rooms. That said, the Enforcers are waiting at the door to take you to your rooms, which will be shared dorms for the time being. I bid you good night and will be looking forward to seeing you in class on Monday."

…

"I have to wonder if you're starting to believe the tripe that you preach."

The Headmistress snorted daintily, maintaining her strict manner. "If I came out and said that we're an institution designed to educate and train the dregs of metahuman society into skilled and vicious criminals, assassins, and domestic terrorists, half of our prospective students would never allow themselves to be inducted into the H.I.V.E."

"True enough, true enough, my hawk in dove's feathers," The voice chuckled in a genteel manner.

"Mr. Cobblepot, you say the nicest things," The Headmistress complimented as she fully stepped off the stage and into the shadows of the sequestered area behind the auditorium.

"Tut tut," the misshapen crime boss chastised waving a finger which looked more like a flipper, "How many times have I told you to call me Penguin? Everyone does nowadays anyway."

"Very well, Mr. Penguin," the Headmistress conceded, not willing to grant the man too much of an unprofessional and friendly courtesy. "What did you think of the induction ceremony?"

"Nice enough I suppose," Penguin shrugged. "A promising crop this year...was it sixty?"

"Sixty-five," the Headmistress corrected lightly, "And I have to agree. We were lucky enough to buy a few contracts from Darkway Preparatory Academy."

"Ah, the old alma mater," Penguin grinned. "It's nice to hear they're holding up to the proper standards...I haven't been back in years; I'll have to find the time to pay a visit...go around the old haunts."

"Indeed," the austere woman nodded politely, "I'm afraid it's not all good news, though."

"Pray tell, my bird of prey?" Penguin asked, raising an eybrow.

"Hopefully nothing too serious, but Brother Blood has sponsored a student with a scholarship. A full scholarship," the Headmistress replied.

"Dear me," Penguin snorted disdainfully. "That old codger is up to something indeed. Do you have any idea what this 'student' of his is supposed to be."

"So far, not much," the Headmistress sighed. "His dossier, which Blood obligingly provided, has claimed numerous very powerful abilities which generally point to the student in question being a ghost, revenant, or other powerful undead. Chang confirmed the presence of ectoplasm, but he may be of a new category of undead that hasn't been documented yet."

"Which means we don't know what he can do," Penguin nodded. "Will you need anything else this year to deal with him, if he becomes a problem? Now that I've overseen the opening ceremonies, I'll have to get back to Gotham. If I'm away to long, Old Bats gets curious."

"I've made plans to keep a few more high-energy weapons around. They should be effective enough without searching out specific anti-spectral ordinance; that would be a little _too_ obvious, I think." The Headmistress admitted, "Still, I hope your inspection of the facilities went as planned and you'll report positively to our backers?"

"Of course, of course," Penguin stated, waving away her concerns. "Everything is up to par and we'll see about sending a few jobs your way. Nothing too morally ambiguous for the newbies, though...and some more difficult missions for your advanced students, I should think."

"Excellent," the Headmistress smiled, the motion producing an uncomfortable stretching sensation in her face, the mark of far too much inaction on the part of those muscles.

**DC Phantom**

Danny shrugged his bags off onto the deceptively normal bed as he glanced around the room he now stood within. The space was done up in deep blues and white trim, decorated with simple but sturdy-looking wooden furniture, and contained all the amenities of a normal room: a closet, a dresser with a mirror, a bookcase, desk and chair, lamp, bedside cabinet, and an assortment of books and pamphlets placed strategically in various locations. A cursory examination showed a mirror-image layout on the opposite side of the room with a foldout screen set between them. Opposite the hallway door, another one of those strange retractable mechanized doors, was an identical one which, Danny shortly discovered, led into a mid-sized bathroom complete with a shower, sink, toilet, and a set of towel racks attached to medicine cabinets with mirrors pasted to the outside.

All in all, he could have mistaken the room for any college dorm or bedroom.

_'Well, except for the slightly glowing teen with white hair, pale skin, and electric-green eyes,'_ Phantom thought comically, reaching for one of the laminated booklets placed on his desk curiously.

Rules & Regulations for Students

Of The H.I.V.E. Academy

Green eyes flickered over the title before moving over the main body of text with interest; he raised an eyebrow when the 'rules' for fights at school came up. Unbelievably, the main thrust of that section seemed to be designed to limit collateral damage instead of student injury, _'Well, I guess it makes a certain amount of sense...some of those guys I saw in the audience looked like they could punch holes in walls. I wouldn't want to deal with them putting holes in my school if I were them.'_

Still, it was a little...weird for the Academy to be so okay with the idea of students fighting each other. _'I really hope my roommate isn't one of those muscle-bound jocks,'_ Phantom shivered, picturing the massive hulk he had brushed past on the way to his room, _'I could do without another Dash making my life Hell here, too.'_

Phantom snapped out of his ponderous daze when the mechanical _whoosh _of the door sounded, Danny's head snapping towards the door quickly. Unconsciously, his left hand lit up with the electric-green light of his ectoplasmic energy, ready for anything.

The form that emerged from the hallway was not, to put it simply, what he had expected. The figure was slim and wiry, clad in a dark cloak that reached down to his ankles with what looked to be a purple bodysuit underneath it overlaid with black gloves, black boots, and short black pants with a silver belt. The cape was connected via a cowl that looked something like swept-back horns or an elaborate crest that left intimidating crimson eyes easily apparent against the other teen's blue-ish tinted skin.

Even as Phantom pushed more power into the ball of energy instinctively at the appearance of his frightful new roommate, the teen laid eyes upon him and, would wonders never cease, gave the white-haired ghost an honest smile, setting a bag on the floor to reach out with his right hand.

Danny blinked, the shock of the friendly gesture allowing the energy in his left hand to dissipate back into his system before he numbly reached out his own right hand. They shook briefly, the caped teen's smile widening as he pulled out a small card which he pressed into Danny's hand.

"Kyd Wykkyd?" Phantom read aloud, his eyes slipping between the card and the teen before him. "Is...that your name?"

The blue-skinned teen nodded, reaching up to tap his throat with two fingers, then making a motion as if he was...breathing...throwing up...no, talking! Finally, the teen shook his head. Danny blinked for another long moment as brain cells fired and the strangeness of the situation dissipated, "Oh! You're...uh, what's the word? Mute? You're mute!"

The now-identified Kyd Wykkyd nodded, grinning as he reach up a hand to scratch the back of his head in a self-conscious gesture. Danny grimaced, "That must really suck..."

Kyd shrugged, somehow communicating the idea, _'Eh...you get used to it.'_

"Oh! I'm Da-Phantom. The name's Phantom," Danny grinned, relieved at catching his almost-mistake. "It's nice to meet you."

Kyd Wykkyd's hands fluttered in a series of shapes that left Danny mentally flat-footed again, until he raised a hand. "Sorry, I don't understand sign language."

Kyd sighed and tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment before reaching down to grab something from within one of his bags. Utilizing the pad and pencil he'd retrieved, he scribbled a few words down, then handed them off to his white-haired roomie.

Nice to meet you, too, Phantom. I look forward to being roommates.

Danny grinned, handing the pad back, "Thanks, me too."

The blue-skinned teen nodded, picked up his bags, and made his way over to the other bed, beginning to store his various possessions and clothing. Danny set down the pamphlet he'd been idly reading and decided to do much the same, making his way over to his own bags. The CD player and the small collection of discs he'd brought with him were placed on the bedside cabinet as perhaps the only source of entertainment he'd have readily available. Somewhat distastefully, he slid the two ectoguns, holster, and belt into the drawer underneath...his parents _had _insisted after the mess with Johnny and he'd caved fairly easily. After all, the guns didn't do anything that _he _couldn't do just as easily.

_'Still, I'm glad airport security thought they were toys...geez, don't most parents lecture their kids for having weapons instead of _not _having them?'_ Danny thought derisively, deciding against putting away any of the other various nicknacks he'd stored in the backpack for now and instead, reaching for one of the two heavy (when he was human) duffel bags which contained various articles of brand new clothing.

Phantom shivered unconsciously, repressing flashbacks to the dreaded 'Shopping Trip Incident,' which had left two clothing stores, a pizzeria, and a shawarma stand completely wrecked, him with two massive armfuls of shopping backs, and a deranged midget whimpering in a corner, whispering, "The Horror, the horror."

Phantom shivered again and purposefully shied away from the memories in favor of looking over the bags, which had been largely packed _for him_, rather than _by him_, because his mother and sister evidently had no confidence whatsoever in his ability to dress himself.

Something which many male teenagers could readily attest to.

Regrettably, most of the shirts were fairly plain primary colors paired with beige slacks, black slacks, and a decent number of blue and black jeans. _'Well, I guess Mom really was getting tired of me wearing the same thing almost every day. She wouldn't even let me sneak in a few of my old t-shirts,'_ Danny sighed derisively, glaring at the assortment of collared shirts which had taken the place of his comfortable old tees. Thankfully, there were also a number of plain, although new and featureless, t-shirts as well.

All of these were quickly sorted away in various nooks and crannies within his closet or the dresser, leaving the bag oddly heavy despite being seemingly empty. Danny's brow furrowed as he looked the duffel over, reaching into it and hitting the hard plastic which served as the backing for the bad; feeling around, the teen struck pay dirt when the plastic came free and revealed a hidden cargo, and a note.

Lifting the paper to the light, Danny looked over the cramped scrawl that he easily recognized as his father's handwriting:

Hey, Danny-boy!

Listen, I know your mom didn't want me sending you off with too much ghost-hunting stuff (something about your friends thinking it's dorky, psh! Like that'll ever happen), but I thought I'd give you some cool stuff to show all of your new buds at that school you're going to. I know you're torn up that we couldn't find whatever happened to your old jumpsuit, but don't worry, I made you a whole set of them! Oh, and there's a surprise too! I just finished it the night before, it's a special coat made with a new Fenton-Material that gets stronger the more ectoplasm it absorbs, so it's really durable! I hope you have fun at school and show all those kids how a Fenton rolls,

-Your Dad,

Jack Fenton

Danny swallowed, fighting the lump in his throat, eyes suspiciously wet as he reread the note. As dorky and dangerous as his parents might be, they still had their moments every now and then where they showed they really did care about him and Jazz. Granted, they offset those rare moments with incredibly embarrassing and humiliating escapades the rest of the time, but...

Phantom grinned and tucked away the note carefully where it couldn't be found. Underneath the plastic backing lay a shrink-wrapped set of a dozen jumpsuits, all of them in their original black-and-white designs...much like his old one had been before the colors inverted.

The teen stopped, suddenly, looking down at the clothing he was wearing.

_'Okay...I was wearing the jumpsuit when I decided to take a look at that stupid portal. And...then, have I ever taken this thing off to wash it?'_ Tentatively, cautiously, Phantom pulled at the material of the jumpsuit he was wearing and sniffed at it. Eyebrows furrowing, he repeated the process before dropping onto his bed in confusion.

_'Uh, all right...I've been wearing this jumpsuit for a month and it isn't funky at all, that's weird. Have I ever tried to take it off, then?'_ Phantom processed this thought for a moment, then looked at his spare changes of clothing and the spare jumpsuits, taking one of each and standing.

"Hey, Kyd?" Phantom asked.

The silent teen turned, red eyes blinking.

"I'll be in the bathroom, 'kay?"

Kyd nodded, turning back to where he was looking over multiple sets of his cloak, bodysuit, and cowl combination outfit. Phantom shrugged, moving into the bathroom and allowing the mechanized doors to seal shut behind him. Looking over the apparatus, the ghost-boy quickly deduced how to lock it and did so, peeling off the jumpsuit shortly afterwards.

"I'm...still wearing my underpants," Phantom contemplated aloud quietly, trying to remember whether or not he had put the jumpsuit on over his everyday clothing or stripped down to his boxers, but as with any other time he tried to remember the events of that day, things became blurry around the period of the accident. "Okay...does that mean my ghost half has been wearing the same boxers for months?"

Danny shivered uneasily and dropped the soiled clothing on the floor, uncomfortable with the fact that, even though the material _seemed_ clean and he hadn't really been 'wearing it' for the last several weeks...it was still a little gross. About to step into the shower, his eyes cut towards the now-discarded clothing as it began to..._change._

"Whoa," Danny uttered softly, watching the coloration slowly _bleed_ off the jumpsuit and boxers, re-inverting their colors and returning them to normal. "Huh...okay, let's try..."

Reaching out, Danny grabbed the blue tee he'd taken from his bag, holding up to his chest for a moment. Slowly, _very slowly_, Phantom felt _something_ flowing out of his body and into the material he was holding. Like dye being poured over the cloth, the blue shirt began to slowly shift to an electric green not unlike...

A similar shade of green met his eyes in the mirror.

"Alright," Danny said slowly, nodding. _'I guess ectoplasm (or whatever it is I'm made of) does weird things to the clothes I'm wearing,'_ the teen nodded, then amended the prior thought, _'At least, while I'm in ghost-mode. I wonder...'_

He was tempted to try 'going-human' for a moment just to see if the outfit he'd worn on the plane over here was still 'on' his human half. _'Although, if it isn't there, I'm not sure I want to know where it would be...this is getting a little freaky. I mean, being half-ghost is one thing, but being so weird that I can't even wear normal clothes half the time?'_

Danny shook his head tiredly and dropped the clothing back onto the pile he'd made, moving towards the shower. He'd solve this little mystery later; it wasn't life-threatening or even that pressing. Right now, he needed a shower, to finish settling in, and get some sleep.

Phantom paused, cocking his head curiously.

_'Do ghosts sleep?'_

Well, he guessed he would find out later tonight.

**DC Phantom**

Phantom did, indeed, find out the answer to his question later that night.

The answer, unfortunately, was a resounding 'no.'

Honestly, Danny had never really had any 'problems' sleeping before, save for a few intermittent weeks of bad dreams, nightmares, and..._other _types of dreams that very rarely interrupted his sleeping cycle. That had changed tonight, though, as he'd been laying in bed for several hours now in a newly-broken-in set of nightclothes which has shifted from a soft blue shade to a pale green when he'd put them on.

Those several hours had been, perhaps, one of the most boring segments of his life. Kyd Wykkyd had gone to bed shortly after him, obligingly turning off the lights and allowing his roommate to rest. The electronic clock on the wall had slowly marked the flow of hours, eating away at Danny's patience and sanity as he attempted to coax a few hours' worth of sleep from a neglectful sandman. At first, Danny had thought if might just be jet-lag, but...this wasn't how he'd imagined jet-lag feeling at all.

Instead of a lingering weariness and drowsiness, if anything, Phantom felt _energized_, ready to do something, _anything_ after hours of inactivity.

In desperation, Phantom threw back the sheets of his bed, sitting up with a heavy sigh.

A show moved on the other side of the translucent screen they'd folded out to facilitate the illusion of one room being 'two.' Phantom's supernaturally good, no pun intended, nightvision tracked the shadow as it shifted, stood, and moved around the screen, red eyes looking inquiringly towards his own green. Kyd had also donned sleepwear, a pair of baggy sweatpants and far-too-large t-shirt hid the majority of his blue skin from the eye, leaving on his arms and face apparent; with his cowl removed, one could also see the slicked-back mane of black hair which now donned his head.

"Sorry," Danny said quietly, "Didn't mean to wake you."

Kyd shrugged, vanishing for a moment and quickly reappearing with the pad and pencil from before. Evidently, the blue teen's eyes were just as good as Danny's own because the other boy didn't even bother turning on a light as he scribbled a quick note:

No problem, I don't really sleep, comes with the 'condition.'

Danny's eyebrows furrowed at the last word, before looking back to Kyd, "Oh, you mean the eyes and skin thing? And what do you mean you can't sleep? Are you an insomniac?"

Kyd shook his head, taking back the pad and writing:

Not insomnia, I just don't sleep. Never have. I learned to meditate a few years ago to decompress after a stressful day, but I don't sleep.

"Ever?" Danny asked in disbelief after reading the message.

Kyd shrugged, then began to write again:

What about you? Are you having trouble sleeping or were you just being polite because you thought I needed sleep?

Danny snorted, shaking his head. "No, I mean...I used to sleep, I just..." Phantom swallowed, wondering how to explain his problem without exposing himself. Kyd seemed to be a nice guy and all, but...it was way too soon to trust him with secrets like that. "I...well, I only started being like _this_," Phantom said, gesturing to his dimly-glowing body, "recently and I'm...not completely used to the whole...ghost thing, ya know?"

Kyd blinked, pressing the pencil to paper again:

Ghost? I didn't want to say anything impolite, but you're really a ghost? As in, dead?

"Well, I'm not-" Danny began, only to have the thought derail mid-sentence as Kyd's question penetrated his skull.

Dead.

He'd never thought of it that way. It had never occurred to him that being half-ghost meant...well, being half-_ghost_. Honestly, he hadn't needed to really _think _about the implications of his powers beyond the occasional embarrassing or secret-endangering moment, but...a memory surface, painfully clear despite the other events of that night being obscured by a fog of confusion and panic.

_A throat-searing scream._

_ Searing bright light._

_ Pain beyond anything he'd ever felt._

_ The cold touch of something otherworldly._

Danny swallowed, closing his eyes and blotting out the memory with ever ounce of his will. "I...yeah. I'm a ghost. I...I died," the teen admitted softly, a lump forming in his throat at the admission. Briefly, he wondered at his relatively calm state...shouldn't he be panicking? Hyperventilating? His pulse racing like Dash was about to punt him over the nearest field goal?

A _very _disturbing thought followed that series of revelations, which Phantom quickly shunted away, forcibly ignoring their content as he focused on his roommate. "Does that...uh, bother you?"

The blue-skinned teen snorted, scribbling again:

As long as you don't mind a freak like me, we'll-

"You're not a freak," Phantom interjected roughly, that term angering his for some unknown reason. Unknowingly, the Headmistress' words from the prior day echoed in his mind; those who would fear people like them, the reasons why the H.I.V.E. existed. "You're not a freak," Phantom repeated sternly.

Kyd stared at him for a long moment, something deep and ponderous in his red eyes, before he nodded a small smile on his face before he began writing again:

Fine, then until you feel like sleeping, how about we pass the time?

"Sure," Danny grinned, "You could teach me to meditate, I guess? Or..."

Kyd snorted again, reaching through a pool of shadow at Danny's bedside, his hand reemerging with a deck of cards. Setting them down, Kyd picked up the pad:

I can teach you to meditate later, if you really want, and I should probably show you a few signs so that my hand won't stop cramping, but how about a few games of cards first?

Danny grinned, standing from his bed and crouching on the floor with his new...friend.

Yeah, his new friend.

* * *

After School Special with Slayer Anderson:

* * *

Mr. Anderson steps onto the stage once again, holding up his hands to forestall the rotten vegetables and flaming debris about to be hurled at his person. "Okay, okay...I know a lot of people are going to get fairly peeved at me for the whole 'clothing' thing, but this is really the only way I can reconcile some of the canon material. I went back and re-watched a few episodes to try and get a handle on how Danny's suit works and what the 'transformation' means for things he's wearing/carrying, but..."

Mr. Anderson sighs, "I know I'll catch flack for say (typing) this, but Danny Phantom is, ultimately, a kids show. There is plenty about it that is really enjoyable for adults, but much of the plot, canon material, etc...doesn't hold up to close analysis. For instance: in Phantom Planet, Danny is 'de-clothed' three times, one in which he's wearing boxers and the other two in which he's wearing briefs. Now, you and I both know this was done for comedic relief, and that's **fine**, but it raises serious questions about _how Danny's transformation functions_. Does it just change his outer layer of clothing? But in the episode 'Memory Blank' Danny is shown changing into his jumpsuit and, if one looks closely, you can see he's not wearing anything underneath. This raises several questions when he (off-screen) transforms back from Phantom to Fenton and he's wearing his 'normal clothing.'"

"So...This is what I'm going with: Daniel Fenton's clothing stays, just like his body, in 'stasis' while he's Phantom. The reverse is also true. Due to Danny's weird-ass nature of his jumpsuit and the iconic look I'm not willing to just throw out, Phantom's ectoplasm 'infects' any clothing he's wearing, a side-effect being that the colors become inverted."

The author shuffles nervously, pressing a hand to his forehead. "And, now that I've removed all doubt as to whether or not I have any life at all, let's talk about something else: H.I.V.E. Academy. Yes, H.I.V.E. Academy is teaching teenagers to be naughty, naughty people who do horrible, horrible things. The problem is that I can't conceive of too many _volunteers_ for that type of training. The way I've written it, the Headmistress tries to paint the Academy as an organization trying to teach young metahumans how to deal with their powers and unit against a fearful and hate-mongering public that would harm or imprison them if given a chance."

"Granted, this isn't too far from the truth in some instances, but this ideology serves as a kind of 'slippery slope' by which many of students who would be tormented or alienated by the outside world start coming together to 'fight back.' Of course, 'fighting back' soon become 'striking first' and in comes the plans, schemes, and plots to take (steal) enough to help keep the Academy operational (running a healthy profit). Wash, rinse, repeat, and you'll get a nice 'ends justify the means' brainwashed mentality in a few short months/years."

"Finally Q&A time: I've gotten several questions on Danny's powers, whether the plot is going to be the same as HIVE Minded, when is Jinx coming in, and whether or not I'm going to pace the story as quickly as last time. Okay...Danny's powers will be different from HIVE Minded, I'm leaning on NOT giving him Vortex's powers in this (simply because I don't approve of using the same trick twice without a good reason), and possibly deviating from the 'canon' set of powers he has as well. The plot will be different, but I will keep a few central themes from the old story, like the exploration of what 'good' and 'evil' are and what they mean for individuals, is there a grey area, etc... Jinx will appear next chapter. The pacing will be slower than HIVE Minded, as might already be apparent. I know some people liked the fast-pace of the old story, but I missed out on a LOT of opportunities because I was hurrying the story along. DC Phantom is not afraid to stop and smell the roses."

**Coldblue:** I'm perfectly okay with all the reviews and would love to give detailed answers for your many questions. Really, I'd like too, but several people complained when I was posting HIVE Minded that I was 'artificially lengthening' my chapters by adding responses to reviews in the posts, so I'm really trying to limit that type of thing. If I don't address something you feel needs to be, please feel free to PM me as I have, reluctantly, be induced into using this new system.

**This goes for everyone with a valid criticism and/or complaint and/or question about the fic that you want a response to: PM me.**

**Flamers, keep the flames to the reviews.**

* * *

**School's Out, See you next period!**


	4. Chapter 4

Slayer Anderson

DC Phantom: Chapter IV

A Danny Phantom/DC 'Verse Crossover Fanfiction

Started - 07/19/2012

Summary: Danny's weekend passes almost without incident. Sadly, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Danny explores his new friendship with the silent Kyd Wykkyd, fortuitous and problematic meetings occur as the first day of school draws closer. Meanwhile, Phantom ponders the implications of living in his new school and the changes it is heralding within his body and mind...the latter of which are vastly more troubling.

Chapter IV – Night & Days

He'd taken a morning shower for more than three years by that point.

It wasn't the fact that he needed to 'wake up' that kept Phantom indulging in this habit, it was the fact that this tradition was, subconsciously, one of the few remaining links to his life in Amity Park. Thanks to the provision against electronics beyond a certain complexity (and his parent's stinginess) he wasn't allowed a cellphone or laptop. Although his mom and dad had _talked about_ him needing either one of both, but they had eventually decided he'd have to make due with the facilities at his new school.

Still, a certain reluctance about using the school-provided laptop he'd found in the desk last night lingered. After all, he didn't know exactly who had access to the school computers, which meant someone would probably be able to put two and two together and realize that Phantom was Fenton if he just logged into the same instant messenger he'd used back home.

...so talking with his family or friends was out.

For the most part.

Brother Blood had given him permission to hand off letters whenever he saw the older man and had also promised to see to the boy's privacy. It wasn't as though Brother Blood was merely a mail horse, though. He had duties of his own, which meant 'mail service' was intermittent at best.

Danny had left his entire life behind in Amity Park, most of his possessions, and anyone who knew him. Even if a morning shower wasn't much of a condolence, it made him feel more...human, especially given last night's uncomfortable revelations, that was something that he needed desperately.

"It's kind of...weird, not sleeping," Danny admitted.

Kyd Wykkyd shrugged, as if to say, "I wouldn't know."

"I mean...I'm not tired or anything. Whenever I've pulled an all-nighter or stayed up all night watching movies, I've always been wiped the next day," Phantom explained, rolling his shoulders as he settled into one of the new jumpsuits his father had sent. Belatedly, he looked at the long black coat laying on the bed; it looked like leather, but given his family it was probably some sort of semi-futuristic material his father had crafted. Picking it up carefully, again because _his father_ had made it, looked the clothing over.

A notepad thrust into the visual range stopped his train of thought:

You'll get used to it, Kyd's precise script read, the only problems I have with the late nights are finding something to do. You can't imagine, yet, how boring it can get with eight or nine extra hours to your day. Here the print was a little rougher, a mark of faster writing. What's with the coat?

Phantom hesitated, wondering on what to say...and whether or not he should lie to his new friend. Eventually, he settled on something near enough the truth, but vague enough to satisfy his new-found paranoia. "A going away present," he stated, slipping the article on and settling into it as his ectoplasm bleached it white. "You think it's too much?"

Kyd blinked, his pencil already moving:

You've gotta' tell me how you did that, but the coat looks fine...you don't look as skinny with it on.

Phantom scowled, Kyd's playful smirk keeping him from becoming truly irritated. "Haha, very funny; the clothes are a trade secret, though. You know, the 'I'd have to kill you before I told you type thing.'"

Kyd blinked, pressing graphite to paper again:

Shouldn't that be the other way around? You'd have to kill me IF you told me?

"Not when you're talking to a ghost," Phantom grinned.

Kyd gave every impression of rolling his eyes despite the fact that they were merely blank fields of red. Turning away, the blue-skinned teen picked up his cowl and cape and busied himself with readying for the coming day.

Phantom was glad for that, because his new friend didn't see him scowl into his dresser mirror, his own electric-green eyes glaring back at him. _'Why did I crack a joke about _that_, of all things?'_ Just for a second, it had been as though the burden of last night's realization had faded away to nothing, leaving only a...sense of lightness, as though there wasn't anything to worry about. _'I wonder why I did that...I mean, I shouldn't joke about death, anyone's death, especially my own, but...it when I said it, it just...didn't seem to matter.'_

Danny shook the oddity off, looking over his reflection as he judged his appearance with the untrained eye of a teenage boy. He had to admit, the white coat looked pretty cool, trailing down to nearly his ankles and turning his rather lanky frame into something with a bit more substance. The half-ghost fiddled with the belt of the coat for a moment before shrugging a resolving to wear it untied around the waist, letting it sweep with his movements. _'Okay, the coat stays, I look pretty badass, it's as close to a cape as I think I'm comfortable with, and now I have some real pocket space.'_

A few goofy poses later and the dry sound of gloved hands clapping brought him back to the real world. Kyd was admirably attempting, but ultimately failing, to suppress a smirk and practically shaking with the effort of strangling silent laughter in submission. Instead of collapsing into a heap, he held up the notepad for a terribly blushing Phantom to read:

C'mon He-man, we'll be late to breakfast.

Danny pressed a hand over his face to hide his reddened cheeks. Embarrassed beyond words, Phantom tried to salvage the situation. "I think I should remind you that we're roommates, Kyd, and I'm not above extremely petty revenge if it comes to that."

Kyd mimed 'zipping' his smirking mouth closed and let the subject drop.

Absently, Phantom grabbed the set of documents off his desk, deciding to get a little reading done over breakfast, since he doubted ecto-contaminated/animated food would be on the menu. The half-ghost perked up at that, wondering what a 'normal' breakfast would be like.

**DC Phantom**

_'This is kinda' boring,'_ Danny sighed somewhat despondently. The waffles hadn't attacked, the cereal and/or milk hadn't exploded, and the fruit wasn't protesting his eating it. All-in-all, beyond the fact that the cafeteria was filled with people in various multicolored and odd-looking costumes, breakfast was completely...normal.

And then his spoon fell through his hand.

Phantom frowned, looking at his translucent limb, "Crap. I thought I'd gotten over that."

Wykkyd, sitting across from him at their table, eyed his friend's arm similarly, pointing at it with his own spoon and raising an eyebrow.

"It's...well, I'm not completely used to all of my powers yet," Danny admitted, his cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment. "Sometimes I go invisible or intangible without really meaning to."

Kyd nodded sagely, thankfully not seeming to think much of his 'problem.'

Concentrating briefly, his arm faded back into full-color tangibility and Phantom resumed eating, idly cutting a glance at the set of folded papers set next to his tray. As he brought his gaze over the various topics, his white brows furrowed in thought. The most interesting, of course, was the possibility which 'combat practice' represented. Then again, he'd never really taken classes like what the H.I.V.E. offered, except for math, and even _that_ looked more interesting than the 'normal' high school curriculum alternative.

A dark-clad finger reached over and tapped one of the pamphlets he wasn't holding and the half-ghost's green eyes slid over to lock onto where Kyd had pointed.

"Foreign languages?" Phantom asked, looking up to Kyd's red orbs. "What about them?"

Wykkyd tapped the paper a bit lower, pointing at the options listed beneath this time.

"Oh, which one am I taking?" Phantom asked, clarifying.

The darkly-clad teen nodded, then pointed at himself and at the fine print: _German_.

"Oh, you're taking German?" Kyd nodded. "I...hadn't thought about it. Maybe Spanish? Or...I'd think Chinese or Hindi would be hard, wouldn't they?"

Kyd shrugged, apparently satisfied, though his eyes widened as he apparently focused on something behind Phantom, his fingers going limp as his own spoon dropped into the bowl in front of him. Danny blinked, staring at his new friend and wondering at the sudden change in the atmosphere. All around him, people were going silent, seemingly waiting on something..._bad_ to happen.

Weakly, Kid raised an almost limp finger to point at the...

Well, it certainly _looked_ like a large rock covered in irregular parts of spandex and hair which somehow sported narrow and angry-looking eyes. _'Okay, it's bigger than Dash, smells worse than Dash, and seems to want to hurt me way, waaay worse than Dash. Great, I wonder if I have a 'bully magnet' sticker on my back or something.'_

"Well, lookie here. Didn't know they let stick-figures join the big leagues. Sure you punks are in the right place?" So said, the massive figure reached over and grabbed Danny's plate of toast and sausages, dumping the lot into his mouth and seemingly swallowing it whole.

"Name's Mammoth, dick-weed, and I think you're in my seat."

Danny's legs tensed, ready to cede the spot to the bully, before a curious thing happened.

"I'm sorry," Phantom replied innocently, then grinned, "But I think you've got the wrong spot; muscle-bound idiots are over there."

_'I always wanted to say that to Dash,'_ Danny thought with glee as Mammoth's face flushed in anger and his stomach began to sink, _'funny, I always thought that was the face he'd make, too.'_

Cracking his knuckles, Mammoth seemed to be sounding funeral bells for the slight figure in front of him. "Wrong answer, punk." Out of the corner of his eye, Phantom saw a dark form flicker away and instantly felt relieved that his roommate wouldn't be caught in the backlash. As a fist larger than his own head barreled towards his body, Danny focused on that strange feeling buried deep within him that was incredibly hard to describe to anyone who hadn't felt it before.

He'd once tried to talk to Sam and Tucker about it, tried to describe the feeling of, _'cold glass washing over your soul like ice water in the dead of winter as a chill breeze flowed around you.'_ It was similar, but completely unlike invisibility, Danny pondered idly as the color washed out of his entire body, leaving him a study of contrasting, barely visible shades and lines.

Mammoth's fist rocketed through the space where Phantom occupied and into the syrup, milk, and mess of his breakfast. The bulky teen retracted his fist almost instantly, staring dumbly at the sloppy mixture pasted onto his hand, before shooting an ugly look at Phantom. The two teens, one barely visible, the other murderously angry stared each other down for a long, tense moment.

...

Contrary to anyone's impression of the thuggish brute, Mammoth wasn't _stupid_, he merely preferred a simple knockdown, drag-out fight, which was what he'd been looking for when he'd picked out the black-and-white figure that he'd learned was called 'Phantom.' Word around the Enforcers was that he was 'strong'...how strong, though, was something he had looked forward to finding out.

His enthusiasm soured at the realization that he wouldn't find a stress-relieving brawl with the white-haired weirdo, well that was just _great_.

The kid had seemed like an easy mark, something to step on to relieve a little boredom and cement his place in the H.I.V.E. as someone to not be messed with, but...

His opening jab had gone gone straight _through _Phantom, which meant he was shit-out-of-options when it came to picking a fight with the other teen. It was just his luck that the kid didn't even want to throw a return punch, which would have hopefully given him an opening. He also didn't look like he was getting tired of going see-through either. That, in turn, meant that he'd have to, as much as he hated to admit it, swallow his pride and make a tactical retreat.

...

Finally, after it seemed an age had passed by in the silent, mounting tension, Mammoth snorted, "Alright, punk, guess I can't beat you senseless...right now. Hope you have eyes in the back of your head, though...day'll come when your fancy tricks won't save you from a beatdown."

The entire cafeteria breathed a sigh of relief as the giant turned and walked away from the conflict. Danny faded into full visibility again and grinned suddenly, turning to the dark figure at his side who merely shook his head tiredly, spinning a lone finger next to his temple even as he smiled lightly.

"OK," Phantom nodded, "It was a little crazy, but I've dealt with bullies before, you can't give them any ground or they'll walk all over you."

Wykkyd gave the impression that he was once again rolling his red orbs even as he handed over one of the brochures his roommate had been looking at before the altercation, pointing at the text which read, Recreation Area. Danny shrugged, "Sure, we can check it out if you want." Heedless of the covert and overt gazes following them, the two turned towards the exit, dropped their trays, and walked away down the hall.

A pair of curious pink eyes, slit down the middle, followed their figures, looking after them wonderingly, consideringly.

Another pair of eyes, significantly more narrowed, kept themselves fixed on the exit even minutes after the white-haired teen had left. Their owner supposed,_ 'he was interesting enough, certainly more so than his classmates, with few exceptions. His roommate was somewhat intriguing as well, though admittedly less so, but both were something that I could work with.'_

_ 'The large student...Mammoth, was overly reliant on his strength, much like many of the other teens. Neither he nor many of his cohorts would have much recourse when tasked with the white-haired teens abilities. Phantom showed glimpses of that same fault, though they were less pronounced...probably due to his powers being so all-encompassing that it was hard _not _to rely on them in some way. It would certainly be a challenge...teaching a student who was innately supernatural to fight at nearly unpowered levels.'_

With a final thought, Shado nodded decisively.

He was far from perfect, but he would do.

At least for now, at any rate. He was the most promising, but there was more than enough time for others to surpass him. Still, she would keep her eye on the 'ghost.'

**DC Phantom**

"It's infuriating, isn't it?"

The Headmistress' face may as well have been carved from stone. "That is one word I would choose, yes."

"But I imagine there are others," He asked, a sardonic lilt to his voice.

"None fit for polite conversation," The Headmistress admitted, turning to eye her fellow observer. He stood, leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on the screen before them. "Why are you here, David?"

"Numerous reasons, though I wonder if you're talking about this room specifically or the H.I.V.E. in general?" The man responded, rolling his shoulders within the matte black material of his bodysuit.

"You're lucky you aren't one of my students," The Headmistress replied, "I don't take that kind of lip from many people these days."

"Not even from an old 'classmate,' Irene?" David grinned, his mouth twitching at the sight of his old...well, 'friend' might be pushing it...acquaintance stiffening slightly.

"I'd hardly call our sort of education a 'class,' David," The Headmistress said stonily, her gaze flickering towards the man. "That is, ideally, what I hope to spare many of these teens from, our 'education.'"

"'Many of these teens,'" David quoted, "What about that one?"

The Headmistress' eyes narrowed again, fixing on the 'ghost-boy.' "Perhaps. It depends on several things, not the least of which is Brother Blood and his plans for Mr. Phantom. I had hoped to gather some manner of intelligence on his capabilities, though it seems I will have to devise some more...elaborate incentive for him to take the offensive. I hadn't expected a...child of his apparent age to be so slow to anger."

David stood, closing in on the monitor and freezing a specific frame. "He isn't. That face isn't reflective of the cool and composed attitude of a seasoned fighter...that's surprise, excitement, and...a bit of shock. He's surprised and elated by the fact that he...did something..."

The stocky man was silent for a moment as he mentally traced the expression on the teen's face, "...or because he _didn't _do something. He's surprised by the fact that he...stood up to the sack of meat."

"You know, David, I hadn't taken you for a psychology buff. How exactly is it that you're able to make such an accurate guess towards the underlying motivations of our newest problem student?" The Headmistress asked, staring at the man as if he'd just done something extraordinary.

"I was always a quick study, Irene, you know that...and it comes in handy when you're running an organization like mine...or raising a daughter," David replied.

There was absolute silence within the small room for a very long moment.

"A...daughter?" The Headmistress asked, scarcely able to contain her skepticism. David raised an eyebrow, while the stone-face woman actually blushed slightly. "I apologize, I shouldn't judge. It's just that you never seemed the...type, exactly."

David snorted, "I suppose not. Still, we're both getting to the age where we'd like to leave something behind...a magnum opus of sorts. She's my greatest project and...I'll be bringing her by in a few weeks."

The Headmistress raised an eyebrow, "Really? She's old enough for enrollment?"

"I never said enrollment," David denied, "She's six, but more than skilled enough to take out many of your 'students.' I want her to take a few lessons from Floyd."

Irene blinked, her mouth dropping open slightly and a stupefied expression blossoming on her face, "You want a six year old...a _six year old child_ to take firearms lessons from Floyd Lawton?"

"She needs proper training in firearms and Lawton surpasses my own marginal skill set by several orders of magnitude. He's the obvious choice," David replied somewhat bluntly.

The Headmistress shook her head, turning back to the screen tiredly. "Phantom...so, he's been bullied before? He doesn't seem like the typical target for bullying, he has too much spine."

"He does now, but that doesn't mean he always did," David commented.

That was when the door opened.

In the same heartbeat, the Headmistress had flipped the monitor off and turned to greet the individuals now walking into the room. "Welcome, welcome. Please, have a seat," The Headmistress nodded, waving a hand at the long table bisecting the room, much like a company's board room. Unlike a board meeting in a corporate high rise, though, this group was just as eclectic and varied as the scholastic membership of the associated school, members of both genders filled in, looking as strange and bizarre as any student enrolled in the the H.I.V.E. Academy.

As the last of them sat down, the Headmistress nodded to each of them, "I'd like to extend greeting to each of this semester's guest faculty and, in light of our...varied membership, I'd also like to extend introductions."

Waving towards the man next to her, his black hair slightly graying in the temples, he was dressed in a matte black body suit with a fully kitted weapons harness tied about him. Between the military-esque stature and the intimidating air about him, it was obvious to all that this was a man used to authority. "First, our Temporary Overseer, David Cain."

Several sets of eyes around the table widened, their gazes shooting towards the muscular man; some were curious, others fearful. A few of the individuals didn't react at all, their faces remaining impassive, showing either a tight control over their own emotions or no knowledge at all of the very real threat which the man in question posed.

"Next we have a guest lecturer, physical trainer, and Legacy known as Hellhound. He will be attached to the Enforcer in charge of the obstacle courses, workout rooms, and the fight rooms," the Headmistress elaborated, looking towards a man dressed in dark red leathers adorned with teeth, weapons, and accessories which painted the image of a 'dog.'

His response could best be characterized by a growl.

The next person was a bit odd even by the standards of H.I.V.E. Organization. He was a small man, the size of a tall boy with features that looked as shiny and inhuman as molded plastic. "This is Winslow Scott Jr. aka the 'Toyman,' he will be heading up a few of the science and technology classes and building a few new training dummies."

The perpetually-grinning biped gave a short nod to his cohorts, "So nice to meet you all."

The Headmistress repressed a shiver at the unblinking gaze of her employee. Waving towards a woman who wore precious little clothing more than a swimsuit would entail, she introduced her. "Twister, true name unknown. She comes to us as our Mental Conditioning Liaison."

The woman's black hair shifted slightly as she bobbed her head, giving no other sign of recognition other than a puff of cigarette smoke.

The Headmistress moved on, headless of Twister's rudeness.

"Heading the Applied Mathematics courses for this semester is the Puzzler." A nondescript man in a brown suit, tie, and glasses gave a polite nod to the villains around him. Although many of his cohorts waited for more information, the austere woman merely gestured to the next individual sitting at their table.

This person was less a 'person' and more of a man-shaped void of darkness, tinted sickly green on the edges. The only indication that the assembled group were not staring at a shadow cast on the ground were the glint of white teeth set within the chiseled ebon form. "Mr. Karkull will be overseeing many of our more...high-end metahuman students, and teaching Sumerian, Sanskrit, and Babylonian."

Again, the sparse information seemed all that they were going to be receiving as another person stepped into the limelight.

Clad from head-to-toe in silver with a set of overly-large faceted red lenses for eyes, the odd figure reclining in the next chair was amusing himself by toying with a cigarette lighter, eying the flame intently. "Firefly, alias Garfield Lynns, will be handling the Applied Chemistry courses as well as a few levels in German and Spanish."

"Next is Mr. Damien Darhk, who will be taking the Technology Primers, Latin, and Greek." The man she gestured to was a young-looking individual with short-cropped black hair wearing a ankle-length leather overcoat. Intelligent dark eyes flickered over the others seated at the table as the man gave a cordial nod.

Another man, this one wearing nothing but white sat further down the table, a white cap settled over his shoulders and hid his largely thin physique. Bright, nearly-mad eyes shone with a brilliant intensity as he smirked. "Dr. Arthur Light. He will be handling the more...technologically savvy students, self-study programs, and taking the overflow from Toyman's groups."

Left unsaid was that there, inevitably, would be. Every year the Headmistress had to suffer at least a few idiots who thought all it took to be successful in life was a death ray and a few pieces of witty banter. Each year she was also sorely tempted to allow them to remove themselves from the intellectual gene pool.

Alas.

"I had hoped we would have one more, though-"

"I am here."

Heads snapped and pivoted to the darkened figure stepping into the dim light of the room. She wore primarily black clothing, though the total of her outfit consisted of muted browns and earthy tones. A bit of exposed skin gave hint of Asiatic heritage and what little she'd spoken seemed to confirm such. Her posture was tense and coiled, every inch the dangerous fighter she was rumored to be.

"Shado," David Cain nodded cordially.

"Cain." It would go a bit far to say Shado greeted him, but she at least acknowledged his presence.

Neither seemed surprised to see the other.

"Indeed," The Headmistress nodded, managing to contain her slightly miffed tone. "Well, now that we are all present, I felt I should bring our new staff, temporary though it may be, up to par on current events. As your extremely lucrative contracts have stipulated, you will all be serving at least a full year as instructors in this facility. If you have not already read the terms and conditions of your employment agreement, I encourage you to do so; failure to observe rules and regulations in the HIVE will result in docked pay, cancellation of contract, or termination."

Each of the assembled gave no sign that they misunderstood 'termination' as merely being fired.

"As such, your courses have been scheduled according to your stipulations. The students in your classes are HIVE property and, just so we are perfectly clear-" Her gaze hardened at this, sweeping over the assembled villains. "-I do not tolerate permanent damage to my property...be it physical, psychological, or otherwise."

"Is that understood?"

A chorus of agreement muttered through the small crowd, some merely nodding with silent gravity.

"Good." The Headmistress glared. "That said, neither do I wish you to handle them with kids' gloves. The students need to be prepared for a real-world environment. No hand-holding, no coddling. You may hurt them, you may make them bleed, and you may work them until they break, but you had better be willing to put them back together again afterward."

"Oooh!" Toyman cooed, his voice raking shivers up many of the villains backs that they refused to show it. "I have a few new parts I've been dieing to try out!"

The Headmistress glared, "I'll want a signed letter of informed consent before you make any...improvements, Toyman."

A bit of the shine seemed to fall from the demented grin as the villain huffed and muttered under his breath.

"And in regards to training exercises?" David Cain asked, propping his arms up and interlacing his fingers.

"At a reasonable frequency, class size, and danger level students will be allowed off-campus with a teacher escort. I will sign off on any requests of that nature." The Headmistress stated, looking to David first and then to the rest.

"And when do we start leaving the brats holding the ball?" Hellhound asked, sharpening his claws.

"The HIVE generally allows a student to be captured and serve jail time after they start growing an independent streak. After you observe a student requesting solo jobs at an increasing frequency, send them on a relatively minor job and we'll hang them out to dry." The Headmistress explained; allowing a student to serve time and establish a record was an important part of the conditioning process. The more indoctrinated a person was to the criminal 'lifestyle' and all that entailed, the less likely they were to suffer an attack of conscience.

"And then we break them out, right?" Hellhound asked.

"Indeed," the Puzzler nodded, "But what if a student were to put together the pieces? To solve the riddle?"

"If ya' mean that they figure us out by all that weirdo talk?" Twister asked blowing another cloud of noxious smoke as she drawled out her question in a mix of a degraded British accent and South African affectation. "That's when you hand the little blighters over to me. I'll set 'em straight in a jiffy."

"Correct," The Headmistress nodded. "Any problems involving a student's willingness to partake in exercises of...questionable morality are to be referred to our resident...guidance councilor."

Snorts and grunts rang out at the 'title' they'd be calling the woman by.

"And conventional lessons?" Firefly asked, his faceted mask still locked on the flickering flame before him.

"Are the venue of the teacher," The Headmistress replied. "As long as the school rules are observed. I don't want to see any excessive destruction of school property, deaths, or explosions. Other than that, you may teach what you like, how you like, and at whatever intensity you choose."

The Headmistress stopped then, surveying the motley crew she'd gathered this semester. Villains, by and large, were a difficult bunch to judge and control; in private she'd often likened the process to herding cats. Each had their own 'rules' by which they ran themselves and their henchmen. Many of them also had violent 'tics' and knee-jerk reactions that brought out their most bloodthirsty sides. For instance, Firefly abhorred anything cold or icy...Toyman reacted violently to anyone who destroyed his precious creations, thankfully she'd managed to convince him to make a few sets of mass-manufactured fighting mannequins that he wasn't to attached to.

Cain's was laziness, she remembered that much from school. She hadn't really had enough experience with the others to learn theirs, but was confident she'd see more than a few over the course of the school year. There was the almost certain probability that more than one student would be hospitalized over the course of finding those 'tics' out. Thankfully, she'd avoided having Firefly and Mr. Freeze on staff the same year.

As the staff meeting continued, the Headmistress wondered whether she should bring up Phantom or not.

No. Blood's machinations would not be allowed to cast a shadow over the school.

**DC Phantom**

The Recreation Area was one floor above the sleeping quarters and cafeteria, on the same level as the training rooms, obstacle courses, and weapons' practice ranges. It seemed the implied motto of the school was "Work Hard, Play Hard," at least, judging by the arrangement of the floor plan. The Rec Area was comprised of numerous nooks, sound-proof booths, console and arcade games, musical instruments, and dozens of other things strewn about the room. Large couches sat back-to-back in various places with large plasma-screen TVs on the walls before them.

Kyd Wykkyd whistled lowly, the sound quiet against the hushed conversations occurring around the room by various individuals in bright, colorful costumes, most of them garish beyond belief.

"You can say that again," Phantom nodded, nearly in awe of the facilities. "I wish my old school had something like this. And...we can just use this stuff?"

"Not exactly." Another voice cut in, slightly squeaky and nasally. "Yo! Saw that mess with the thug, name's See-More."

The person before them was an order of magnitude stranger than anything Phantom had been exposed to so far. Wearing a white body-suit with a stylized 'eye' on the front and green accents, See-More looked more like a carnival attraction than anyone qualified for, well, anything. The green headgear and prominent, single, bulbous eye topped off the image, making the other teen look oddly top-heavy.

"Uhh...thanks," Phantom said, suddenly unsure of the situation. Seizing on a topic of conversation, he shook himself, "What did you mean, 'not exactly?'"

"Eh, we gotta' _earn_ it, ya' know?" See-More said conspiratorially, throwing an arm over Phantom and Wykkyd's shoulders. "Do well in school, kick your classmates' asses, that type of thing. Top dogs get access to perks and the like."

"Huh," Phantom grunted thoughtfully. It was utterly bizarre, this school, and the surreality had hit him yet again. They seemed to almost _encourage _bullying, in a certain sense. Well...not 'encourage' at any rate, but...they certainly didn't have anything against their students establishing a pecking order.

"Which means you need a guy who knows how the system works, if you wanna get ahead in the HIVE, get me?" See-More asked, grinning.

"So you can ride their coattails, right cyclops?"

The three boys' head snapped to the side, locking onto a pink and purple figure who prowled into the Rec Room with the easy grace of a large cat and slow, purposeful steps. Her hair and eyes were a nearly-blinding bubblegum pink, her skin pale as white ash, and her clothing the dark and lacy design of a gothic princess without unnecessary frills, decoration, or adornments.

"Jinx," See-More greeted coolly as Phantom felt tension build in his muscles. "Still sticking your nose into other people's business, I see."

"And you're still a snotty tag-a-long, what about it?" Jinx sniped back. "Who was it back at Darkway Prep? India Ink? Before that it was Johnny Rancid, right? Whatever happened to him, anyway? Last I heard he blew up the Detention Center and left four teachers hospitalized."

Kyd and Phantom exchanged odd looks.

See-More rolled his...eye, "Dude was a mad-dog, Pink! Better be behind him than in front of him, if ya know what I mean?"

"I know plenty," The pink-haired girl snorted rudely, then fixed Phantom and Kyd with an appraising glance. "So, you're betting on these two packing enough heat to keep the vultures off you, huh?"

"You're talking like I can't pull my own weight, Jinx," See-More scowled dangerously, his stance tightening.

Jinx spun, clasping her hands behind her head and presenting her back to her enemy with insulting nonchalance. "Now would I do a thing like that, cyclops?"

See-More growled.

Danny watched the entire confrontation with an oddly thoughtful look in his eyes. At first glance he'd thought this was another one of those bully-bullied match-ups; See-More looked a little wimpy (much like he had for the last several years of his life), but...

_'See-More is standing up to...Jinx, I think her name was,'_ Danny thought with confusion. _'If Jinx is in the 'popular crowd' then, shouldn't See-More be backing down? Whenever I mouthed off to Flash...things went...badly.'_

With that in mind, what See-More did next made Phantom's reaction almost natural.

See-More cut a glance to Phantom, grinning. "Watch me show this bitch what's what, bro."

The green-and-white-clad teen stepped forward, a glint of malice shining in his eye. Whether it was Jinx's turned back, her irritating nickname for him, or something else altogether, See-More's hand shot up to his headgear, twisting a knob on the right-hand side.

"You think I can't carry my weight?" See-More shouted, "Try this on for size, then?"

Phantom's response was part-horror and part-reflex. Whether or not the term 'bully' even applied here, despite the fact that these people didn't think much of heroism, he still had a conscience. Some distant corner of his mind 'clicked' on, his arm shooting forward to intercept the mass of gelatinous green goo See-More had improbably launched from his single, large, eye.

An electric-green blast of ectoplasm shot off from Phantom's outstretched hand.

Both the onset of hostilities and the ensuing small explosion turned every head towards the collection of teens now standing in the middle of a suddenly much less crowded Rec Room. Silence swept over the room as the bands of smoke and ash settled, every eye wary and waiting. Kyd Wykkyd stepped closer to his roommate, red eyes darting about checking for possible attacks or avenues of retreat.

_'You know, Phantom and I really have to talk about his luck. If this is the kind of mess he can get into before classes even start, this year's going to be...interesting,'_ Kyd sighed mentally, fingering a throwing knife.

"So that's how its gonna' be, huh?" See-More fairly spat, glaring at the ghost-teen. "You're on her side then?"

Before Phantom had even opened his mouth, Jinx had responded.

"You said it yourself, cyclops," Jinx taunted, her smirk growing as she spun back around. "Better behind me than in front, especially since you can't even manage to stab me in the back properly. Maybe he thinks he'll have better luck."

Again, Phantom moved to object, and again he was preempted.

"If that's how it is," See-More glared, "You better grow some eyes in the back of your head, Phantom, cause we've got unfinished business."

As the one-eyed teen stalked off Phantom's head swiveled between See-More's retreating form and Jinx's self-satisfied smirk as she, too, spun to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Phantom called.

The pink-haired witch spun again, the movement graceful and almost dance-like. She raised an eyebrow as she looked over Phantom's and Wykkyd's forms again, this time pausing to assess languidly. She crossed her arms, every inch the gracious queen allowing her subject a boon by even deigning to listen to him.

"What? Make it quick." Jinx ordered.

"What...what was that all about?" Phantom asked, closing the distance between them and lowering his tone as he became more aware of the numerous gazes lingering on them.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with," Jinx rolled her eyes. "Cyclops has always been...short-sighted, if you'll pardon the pun. He's a leach that jumps onto the first idiot stupid enough to listen to him."

Phantom frowned, "He attacked you."

"And...?" Jinx shrugged. "Big, burly, and hairy tried to pound you at lunch. You didn't have any trouble with him, I wouldn't have had any trouble with See-More if you hadn't butted in."

Kyd passed a note discretely to Phantom, who glanced over it and looked to Jinx, "What did he want us for anyway?"

"Protection," Jinx answered, speaking as if to a particularly slow child. "You two don't know anything, do you?"

Green and red orbs looked back at her guilelessly.

Jinx sighed. "Okay, follow me and try to keep up. The first thing you need to know about are team assignments. They'll be important in about a week or so and See-More was trying to jockey you two gullible idiots into a workable team. Teams come in sets of three, four, or five, which..."

As Jinx talked, Phantom and Wykkyd trailed behind her, lapping up her words of wisdom like water in a desert. Though it was difficult, Jinx managed to keep a victorious grin off her face. _'That'll teach the cyclops to try to poach from me. And to think I was ready to settle for the giant with body odor problems and the midget that can't even think up a decent curse word. Phantom will more than make up for the muscle-bound idiot and he's got that 'heart of gold' vibe going on. Kyd had enough common sense to duck and cover from Mammoth...and he can't even run his mouth like Gizmo.'_

Jinx continued her lecture, pointing out various facilities as they went.

After all, she didn't want her teammates to be the losers that got lost on Monday, that would be bad for her reputation.

* * *

**After School Special with Mr. Anderson:**

* * *

"Huh...I finished it," the bearded man states as he rubs at his chin. "Well, holy shit...its taken me long enough."

He turns.

"Oh, hey...didn't see you there. Anyway, if you're reading this, you're far more patient and forgiving than you have any right to be. I'm kind of amazed at the utterly horrible update schedule this story has been possessed of. I mean, part of the reason this thing took so long was the villains' part. I had to pick juuuust the right 'level' of villains. Nothing to much in the way of 'big bad,' but threatening enough to give me some room to work with. Compound that with the fact that I'm actually TEACHING for the first time in my life, well...things suck."

He sighs.

"Okay. I'm not gonna' promise anything here, but I'll probably be able to get Chapter five up by this summer." Mr. Anderson rubs his forehead, "Then again, I said that about Christmas too...The only reason this is getting out right now is Spring Break (and the fact that I'm working on it instead of my Graduate Research Paper). Oh, and for those of you interested in getting you Graduate-level degree? Assembling a thesis board sucks hard."

"Anyway, feel free to review and tell me how much I suck with time-management. Uh...hmm, I think that was it."

Mr. Anderson walks off stage tiredly, muttering about sake and plum wine and getting drunk. Just as he passes the curtains, he turns back and pokes his head out, "Oh, and Cold blue? Yeah, turns out cursing _does_ work, I guess."

He waves.

"Peace, guys! Slayer Out!"


	5. Chapter 5

Slayer Anderson

DC Phantom Chapter 5

A Danny Phantom/DC Comics Crossover

04/09/2013

Summary: Classes start for our favorite ghost-boy who, ridiculously enough, thought things would get simpler, rather than more complicated at his new school. Finding himself the newest, hottest commodity in a cover power struggle, Danny must begin distinguishing friend from foe...if he can find anyone who he can call 'friend.' Topping off his difficulties is the fear that spending so much time as a ghost might not be doing good things to his mind or body...

_This is for emphasis-_

_ 'This is for internal thought'-_

"This is for speaking aloud"-

This is for writing-

Chapter V – Putting the Class in Class

Duck-

_Foowsh!_

Roll-

_Tingtingting!_

Intangible-

_'How did I get into this?!'_ Danny thought irately as he took cover behind an obstacle, panting deeply. Of course, he didn't really _need _to breathe right now, but old habits died hard.

As another robotic drone closed on his position, Danny's eyes narrowed. Raising his glowing hand, he scowled. _'That's right, it all started with-'_

**DC Phantom**

Starting Monday morning, Danny found out a new function of the rooms H.I.V.E. students had been allotted. It was something he should have been expecting in hindsight. Still, it wasn't like he'd been to a boarding school previously, and the otherwise normal function would have been appreciated under 'normal' circumstances...

...like if he were sleeping.

As it was, the alarm scared the crap out of both him and his roommate, who had spent the night walking through an elementary level of sign language. Danny had picked up a few symbols that were a mix of the classically important 'where is the bathroom?' to the more mundane 'Stop,' 'Listen,' 'Attack,' and 'Defend,' all of which might be useful considering they would eventually get to combat training.

Still, the rest of their weekend had passed with a blessed semi-boredom as they investigated the layout of their new school, aided by their new-found...ally? Non-enemy? Friend?

Whatever the cynical teen's ill-defined relationship with them was, she had been invaluable in warding off the more enterprising and jealous advances on their threesome. Since the teams Jinx had mentioned were supposed to contain between three and five people, Danny had opined that they might think about adding to their 'group,' but Jinx had been firm in her dismissal of that option.

_"Maybe if we find someone in our league," she'd said bluntly._

_ "Our league?" Danny asked, Kyd Wykkyd making a similarly curious motion._

_ "I looked over the rest of the scrap heap," the pink-haired witch explained shortly. "You two, __in addition to me of course, are the one's I'd bet on to finish out the year best. That lug mammoth might make it, but without backup he'll be middle of the pack material at best. One-eye will scrape in at the very bottom rung unless he finds someone to mouche off of."_

_Why us?__ Kyd wrote, flashing the notepad at Danny, who asked the question._

_ Jinx, in turn, flashed the white-haired teen a 'are you serious?' look. "Please, you're a ghost, right? That means you, at minimum have invisibility, intangibility, and you've already proven you have a little firepower. Dump that in with teleportation and whatever other surprises your quiet friend over there has in store with the tricks I've got? We'll ace Combat Finals easy."_

_ "Huh," Danny muttered, unable to find a counter-argument and feeling a grin tug at his face._

Danny stretched, feeling his limb limber up as he started moving again after hours of sitting on the floor. Strangely, his feet and legs weren't even asleep...one of the few advantages of-

His mind swerved, unwilling to ponder that thought as he ducked into the bathroom to shower, his heart still-

A growl of frustration cut that thought off again as he sloughed off his pajamas and stepped into the shower, turning on the gushing hot water. Even as the liquid rushed over him, he narrowed his eyes...it was an odd sensation, one he'd noticed just last night. As he was was 'getting used to' his ghostly body, things were beginning to feel...well, _less_, not to put too fine a point on it.

Biting his lip, a white ring of energy formed up around him.

Another second and he was human again.

A second beyond that, and he was panickingly reaching for the handle, turning down the hot water as quickly as possible. "What the hell?" He asked himself, touching the boiled-pink skin on his torso. The water had been hot...really, really hot, and he'd barely felt it as a ghost.

_'And now it's almost like I feel it too much,'_ Danny thought with a sensation like vertigo. _'My body feels hot, and heavy, and weird. Almost like...'_ Danny shook his head, palming his face as he leaned against the side of the shower. This was a problem.

A big problem.

_'Okay Fenton, calm down,' _Danny urged himself silently, _'I've got to go to class as Phantom, no it, and, or buts about it. It doesn't matte what's up with my ghost half, superheroes or normal people with superpowers need secret identities, Brother Blood said as much. Heck, even he has a secret identity! That means I have to go as a ghost, not Danny Fenton. It doesn't matter if I'm losing touch with reality or whatever, though this probably has something to do with needing less sleep..._

_ ...and not feeling tired as much, and not feeling hungry as much.'_

It made a certain insidious kind of sense.

Damn it.

Danny schooled his emotions, not willing to let panic overtake him now. _'This is my problem, I need to deal with it. I can't go running home the first day of class. This entire school is all about dealing with powers. I've just got to stay calm and maybe either it'll go away or I'll get used to it.'_

So resolved, Danny tapped into the ectoplasmic energy within him, letting it flare up and envelop him before he could think twice about it. Almost instantly, the water lost any feeling of temperature, the world lost a bit of color, and sounds and sensations were...dull, dim, in comparison to his 'human' half.

Danny shook his head, flipping the water off and phasing through the shower curtain, dropping the excess water coating him as he went. "Have to admit," he granted, "It's at least a little cool that I might never need a towel again, at least."

Even as he reached for a new jumpsuit, watching the colors invert as ectoplasm swept through and infused the material, he noticed the numbness which had slowly been intensifying over the past few days, the longer he stayed in ghost-form, had returned full-force. Pressing a hand against his chest, he waited a few seconds, intent on listening for the-

_ba-bump_

It was worryingly slow, and something he hadn't even noticed until he'd really looked for it, but much like his breathing, his need for sleep, food, and the like, all of his bodily rhythms were 'slowing down.' Not quite 'stalling out' or 'stopping,' but coming close to it.

And there wasn't much he could do about it.

You okay? Kyd signed, his hands flipping through a basic signal that was one of the few Danny recognized. A more literal translation to the pseudo-military hand sign was, 'status?'

Fine Danny signed back, forcing himself to do so rather than use a vocal response.

That was another thing Jinx had been adamant about.

_"So you can't speak?" The pinkette had asked without a hint of shame. Even though their acquaintance was only hours old, Danny was beginning to know that this was simply her style...a brazen boldness that was unapologetic to the core. _

_ No Wykkyd wrote back, just as bluntly._

_ "We'll need to do something about that," Jinx thought aloud to herself. "You know sign language, right?"_

_ Wykkyd nodded, forgoing a written response._

_ "Good," She looked over her other shoulder, to the white-haired teen following her, "You and I are learning sign language, Spooky."_

_ "Just like that?" Danny asked, torn between irritation and capitulation on the subject. On the one hand, he'd been planning to learn sign language anyway, if only to be able to communicate with his roommate a little easier. On the other hand, he didn't exactly like being told that he was going to learn, regardless of his opinion._

_ Pink eyes rolled in their sockets as Jinx turned back forward. "Just like that. Don't get your ghost but in a rut, I'll be learning it too. If we want to work as a team, that means working as a team. If short, dark, and blue over there can't talk during a training operation, how well do you think it'll go down."_

_ Danny shrugged, conceding the point readily enough._

_ "Besides," Jinx grinned cattily, "Kyd, you're going to learning Morse Code too."_

_ Red eyes blinked, clueless, as a dark clad finger came up to point at himself, as if asking 'who, me?'_

_ "Yeah, you," Jinx stated pointedly. "Spooky and I will be learning it as well. We'll want something in case none of use are within sight of each other. Blue Boy can tap his headset mic for dots and dashes."_

Jinx, Danny reflected, had the kind of 'take charge' attitude that neither he nor Kyd Wykkyd possessed. Their friendship(?) felt much like the one he had with Tucker. Both of the other teens weren't exactly studious, but provided good company, and were willing to put up with his oddities if he put up with theirs. Granted, with Tucker it was just putting up with his (attempted) womanizing, obsession with anything digital, and overall nerdiness.

With Kyd Wykkyd, he had to put up with blue skin, teleportation, and the ability to move through shadows.

Fundamentally, though, they were both easygoing and readily to take life (or death [or semi-death/life]) as it came. The same was not true for Jinx. If anything, the pinkette reminded him more than slightly of Sam. Granted, the comparisons weren't exactly perfect, but Jinx had a similar fire in her, something that got her up day after day ready to accomplish something.

He knew Sam's...but he wondered what Jinx's was?

Shaking his head, he signaled to his roommate that the shower was free, even as he slipped on his coat, watching the material bleach. With a lingering look towards the ecto-guns, Danny rolled his eyes before bringing up a single finger and concentrating, focusing as a ball of electric-green ectoplasm coalesced on its tip before cocking his thumb back like a trigger and turning to the dartboard Kyd had set up two nights prior. Carefully aiming, Danny loosed the energy beam, hitting on the edge of the board.

_'Okay, gotta work on accuracy,'_ Danny winced, blowing on his finger. "Still," he said aloud, "I guess I'm armed and dangerous enough without the blasters."

There was a bit of a thrill at the word 'dangerous,' as it passed his lips and, for a passing moment, he wished Dash was here. Not that he'd do anything, of course, just watch as the hairy juggernaut from the day before pounded him into the ground. It would be a blast to see his one-time bully get some just deserts as he sat watching, invisible, intangible, and with enough firepower literally at his fingertips to blow away any other attempts on his person.

That was certainly a happy thought, if he'd ever had one.

He wasn't sure what Jinx was so worried about, he was sure when practice time rolled around, they'd set the bar. Still, it worried him a little that Jinx was taking things so seriously...

_"Is this combat stuff really that important?" Phantom had asked, his brow quirking._

_ As Jinx momentarily froze, he sensed he'd made a grave misstep._

_ The pinkette sighed deeply, exhaling a tense anger before she turned to look at her prospective teammate. "Look, Phantom, you're either here to be the best or you're in my way. Which is it?"_

_ Danny grimaced. "Well, I just...I just thought we'd start out easy. I mean, what's the big deal about winning all this combat practice?"_

_ Jinx palmed her face, exasperation in every movement. "Did you even read your student handbook?"_

_ Danny winced, having the grace to look sheepish. "Ah...maybe? A little?"_

_ Jinx was unimpressed._

_ "Okay," the girl sighed again. "I'll make this easy for you. Combat Practice starts in a month. Student rankings are determined, in large part, by combat practices. Student rankings also determine what kind of privileges you get while you're at the H.I.V.E. If you get top team, you can get private suites, better meals, access to better gear, and a whole lot else besides."_

_ Understanding dawned on Phantom._

_ "Well," the half-ghost considered, "When you put it that way..."_

_ "Exactly," Jinx nodded. "And that's not even getting into the fact that the Combat Practices are the basis for judging whether or not we're ready for field work. If you don't test well enough you get..." And here the pinkette's face soured, "guard duty."_

_ "And you lost me again," Phantom admitted as he looked to Wykkyd, who's own face was a similar study in confusion. "What's so bad about guard duty?"_

_ "It's an insult," Jinx explained in a 'why do I have to get stuck with these idiots' voice. Tucker and Sam had occasionally taken that tone when their specialty area (technology and goth-punk culture) had been questioned. "Guard duty is the lowest rung of fieldwork and you only get assigned there if the Headmistress is afraid you'll screw up somewhere else."_

_ "Oh," Danny nodded, back on board._

_ Kyd Wykkyd pursed his lips thoughtfully, mulling the concept over._

_ "So does this mean you're up for it?" Jinx asked, her pink eyes narrow again, judging and evaluating._

_ "What kind of jobs do you want, anyway?" Danny asked, both curious and wary now. Jinx was...ambitious, and he didn't really want to end up biting off more than he could chew._

_ Again._

_ Jinx snorted, throwing her hands behind her head as she spun and began walking again. "At least you're using your brain now. Hmm...I guess the kind of jobs I want are the kind that get you famous, that make you a name, you know what I mean?"_

_ "I guess," Phantom acknowledged, Kyd Wykkyd looking similarly thoughtful._

_ "Good," Jinx nodded, "Then we're a team?"_

_ "Sure," Phantom replied, smiling as he shook Jinx's hand, then watched as the pinkette shook his roommate's. Finally, and feeling a little silly, Phantom and Wykkyd shook._

"Famous, huh?" Danny muttered quietly as he and Wykkyd walked to class.

Wykkyd flipped him another easy sign, What's up? This one was more of an unofficial 'slang-sign' that Kyd's teacher had taught him and therefore wasn't in the 'official' vocabulary.

"Just thinking about what Jinx said," Phantom admitted, shrugging.

An inquiring glance from his mute friend.

"I was just wondering why," he elaborated. "I mean, I wasn't really looking to make a name for myself when...this happened." Here Danny gestured to his slightly-glowing form. "Actually, it was a bit the opposite: keep a low profile, dodge my-the ghost hunters in the area, all that."

So, why'd you team up with her? This was too complicated for Danny to interpret, so Wykkyd had scrawled it out quickly as they walked.

And that was the question, wasn't it?

Why had he agreed to team up with Jinx, knowing her ambitions? His gaze went distant, thoughtful. "Maybe...'cause I wanted to be too..."

It was a hard admission to make, but one he had fantasized about quite a bit, to be honest. After all, he'd wanted to be an astronaut, hadn't he? And astronauts were pretty important, right? Best of the best and all that jazz... Granted, nowadays he might be able to make it pretty high up without a rocket...probably not quite to space, though, and if he still wanted to be in the Space Program, they'd probably find out something was up when they saw the flecks of glowing green stuff in his blood...

_'So, yeah, that dream was buried and dead,'_ Danny snorted cynically, _'But maybe I'll be okay. Maybe this whole 'ghost' thing will work out and I'll make a name for myself this way?'_

So, yeah, fame was certainly at least part of it, and would probably satisfy Kyd, but...it went deeper, Danny knew. Even before he'd gotten his powers, he was getting tired of the same boring routine everyday.

Got to school, get beaten up by Dash.

Hang out with Sam and Tucker, commiserate over embarrassing parental behavior.

Come home, dodge bossy sister, over protective mother, and irritatingly upbeat father.

_'Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and Jazz,'_ Danny thought, grimacing, _'but it gets old, after you have to take that kind of behavior day after day. Maybe I was tired of being Danny Fenton? Maybe that's why I agreed to Jinx's offer? Or...maybe that's why Phantom agreed? It looks like I got my wish at least...no more geeky Danny Fenton, at least.'_

"So why'd you join up with us, anyway?" Danny found himself asking, shaking off the depressing thought that had crossed his mind and looking at Kyd speculatively.

Kyd shrugged and put pencil to paper, though Phantom wasn't exactly sure how to take the answer he got.

Following your lead, the scrawl read. I might have a few cool tricks, but I know I'm not a headliner. I'm better at support, have someone's back. That way someone will have mine, too.

It was a little more...mercenary, than he'd come to expect from Kyd.

The blue teen hastened to add another line when he saw Danny's face grow distant. And you're my roommate, plus you're...well, nice. What if I teamed up with Mammoth or something?

Phantom smirked, amusement replacing suspicion. "I think it'd take too long to train _him _to do any 'cool tricks.'"

Kyd grinned back, chuckling silently.

Their trek through the labyrinth which was H.I.V.E. Academy the day prior had familiarized the two teens with some of the their classes' locations, allowing them to navigate with a reasonable amount of success, finally ending up in a massive circular room with a smaller circular platform ringed by consoles in the center. A series of 'stations' ringed the outer walls with temporary barriers placed between them, rounding out the room with twenty or thirty small niches about the circumference.

In each niche or workstation, or whatever they were supposed to be, sat a bank of machinery which looked vaguely medical in purpose and slightly sinister in design. Idly, the ghost-teen looked around, coming to a very solid conclusion, _'This room is Tucker's worst nightmare.'_

All around him were various individuals he had glimpsed during his short time at the H.I.V.E, dressed equally as outlandish as he was with mechanical parts, odd limbs, and far too much spandex on display. The odd assortment milled about aimlessly, without direction as they waited for something to happen. In short order, something did indeed happen.

The central circle, a portion of the room only five or so feet in radius, split apart, opening like an iris. A hunchbacked and deformed man rose out of it, clothed entirely in a white bodysuit with strange headgear and a bizarre pair of goggles on his eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get to your stations!" He barked (more like yelped) out, his voice tinted with an eastern accent.

Moving quickly, but not running, each student began to seek out a nook in the room, only to find a stand with a digital display erected before each of them, showing two pictures. Evidently, Danny realized, they were going to be paired up for this exercise.

Soon enough, he found his station, though the picture next to his own wasn't Kyd Wykkyd.

The red-eyed teen shrugged slightly, as if saying, "What can you do?" and moved on, searching his own area out. In moments, most of the class had settled, his own partner coming to rest nearby, leaning on the wall nearby.

"Alright!" The odd-looking human being in the center of the class yelled, scowling. "Now you children listen up, I'm Professor Chang and I will be proctoring this semester's medical courses, of which this is both the lowest level, and the only one required. Now, when you are in this room, I am the ultimate authority. If I tell you to do something, do it."

He paused. "Now, take out your Student IDs."

There was widespread shuffling as small plastic cards with magnetic strips were removed from various locations and Chang nodded in satisfaction. "Good, at least no one in this class is stupid enough to walk around without it. Now, for those slackers among you who haven't read the student handbook yet, these cards are more than mere ID. They also serve to allow you to check out resources-" Here his scowl deepened and he almost growled.

"-_which you will be responsible for_. Return any equipment from this class or any other in less than pristine condition and you will be docked points." He paused again, letting the information sink in as he looked around, spinning in his chair and flashing his goggled eyes over the various monitors at his fingertips. "Now, slid your card over the screen at your workstation."

Both Phantom and his partner did as directed.

Two small tablets, about the size of an e-reader 'popped' out from the top of the stand.

"These are electronic copies of your textbooks in addition to your workbooks. Any work, whether it is completed or not, will be accessed and downloaded by me when it is due. If you lose your tablet, you will be docked points and fined the cost of the device."

Danny swallowed, carefully gripping the tablet.

"Take this period to begin familiarizing yourself with them and complete exercises one through ten after reading the first two chapters of your text." Chang instructed. "This course will be pass-fail, much as it is in life. When performing emergency triage, first aid, or other medical procedures you very seldom have the chance for a," and here he sneered, "'redo.'"

He sat back in his chair.

"When we meet again, I expect you to proceed directly to your stations and begin working. I will be most displeased otherwise. So, study as if your life depended on it."

He grinned darkly, "Because it may one day."

As the 'teacher' vanished from view, submerging back into the floor, Danny took stock of what was evidently going to be his 'lab partner' for the semester...at least in this class. The other teen(?) was of indeterminable age, primarily due to the way his entire body was covered, showing not an inch of skin. He was slightly taller than Danny himself, which made Danny think that he was perhaps only a year older, max, than himself.

Combat boots adorned his feet, black leather blending with the gray-black camo pattern of his tight canvas pants and the numerous pockets and adornments which had been bound onto them. A sculpted piece of body armor covered his torso which had been stained in the same gray-black camouflage pattern as his pants. Over the armor he wore a black leather jacket which, judging from the hidden bulges, probably concealed some manner of weapons. He wore dark gloves with grip pads, the material seeming thick and protective. Finally, his face was a wash of red material, two colored lenses hiding his eyes, but other than that the entire mask was a featureless canvas of red.

"I know I look pretty, but you keep staring like that and I might start to worry," The other teen snarked, Danny swearing he could see the mask's fabric tug at one of the edges.

"Sorry," Danny snorted, sticking his hand out. "Phantom."

"Red Hood," the masked teen replied with a touch more caution. "I guess we're probably the least creative pair here, then."

"Huh?" Danny asked, caught off guard.

"Red Hood," the teen pointed to his face. "I wear a red hood. You're a ghost right? Took you all night to come up with name, didn't it?"

Danny snorted. Although he'd picked the name Phantom because of its resemblance to Fenton, he had to admit it sounded a bit...unoriginal. "Guess so, Chang's something else, though...I don't even think he wants to be here."

Red Hood shrugged, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. "Chang probably doesn't." At Danny's frown, he elaborated. "H.I.V.E. pays out big bucks, but he seems more like the 'pet mad scientist' guy than a teacher. He probably got conned into the job and didn't realize it until he'd already signed the papers."

Danny blinked, that was...really insightful.

"So I guess we're partnered up for the semester?" Phantom asked unnecessarily.

"Pretty much," Red Hood nodded, then gave Danny a hard stare. "Look, I don't really give a damn about who or what you are, just so you know. You might scare some of the mooks, but all I care about is whether or not you can pass the class. You get me failed and I'll find a way to kill you _again_, we good?"

Phantom narrowed his gaze, green orbs burning even in the bright florescent lights. In another life, just a few days ago...but it felt like an age, Red Hood might have scared him, as intimidating a figure as he cut in his leather and body armor. Now, though, fear felt like a distant and foreign thing. Whereas with Mammoth, it had been present, now it was eclipsed by...well, not really an emotion, but something stronger and deeper. It might have been pride...or even mere irritation, all he knew was that he wasn't going to let a guy in a cheap mask walk all over him.

He was done with that.

"That'll be harder than you think," Phantom growled, a whisper of power in his voice, something that warped and distorted his tone. "But I'll study all the same, after all, I'll need to put you back together again after I take you apart. I wouldn't want to fail either, you know?"

Red Hood held the white-haired teen's cold, burning gaze for another moment, before chuckling. "You've got some nerve, Spook. That's good, though, I'd hate to be saddled with a wuss."

Phantom felt his face twist into a sneer that mimicked Red Hood's as he walked off.

"I'll be around if you wanna' hang," the other teen spoke over his shoulder.

As soon as he left, Phantom shivered and dropped back against the wall, his eyes wide in disbelief, "What the hell was _that_?" His question was tinged with a certain surreal horror, bordering on awe, much like the aftermath of his encounter with the stinking giant two days prior.

A tap on his shoulder.

Kyd had found him again, a girl decked out in an angel costume who was presumably his lab partner, standing behind him. Her gaze was slightly awed and fearful, while Kyd's bordered more on, "Are you fucking insane?"

It probably meant something bad that Danny couldn't answer that question right now.

"I don't want to talk about it," He cut Kyd off, not unkindly, but firmly.

Kyd held his gaze for another moment, then shrugged and looked away uncomfortably. He knew his eyes freaked out normal people, but Phantom's...well, there was just something about them that was..._more _than he was used to seeing.

So deep in thought was Phantom that he almost missed one of the simple signals Kyd had taught him. What now? Wykkyd's hand's stepped through the motions slowly, carefully, and deliberately.

"Free period, then Physical Training," Phantom shrugged, his thoughts still spinning wildly. "You?"

Rather than writing or attempting to sign something with his hands, Kyd simply held up his schedule. "German," Danny noted aloud, nodding. Looking back to the blue-skinned teen, he asked, "See you back at the room later?"

Kyd nodded and walked off, listening to the cheerful voice of the angelic girl, even as she threw odd, frightened glances back his way.

Weird.

Looking around, he noted that save a few stragglers only now walking through the exit, he was the last in the room. Sighing, Danny...Phantom...whoever he was, picked up his bookbag and slid the tablet into, shouldering the luggage as he walked away. "Whoever I am," Danny whispered, feeling the question resonate deeply within him.

It was one he wished he had an answer for.

**DC Phantom**

"What have you found?"

"Nothing of any consequence to you," Chang replied in an irritable tone.

"You have found _nothing_?" There was a dangerous lilt to the Headmistress' voice.

"That was not what I said," Chang responded. "This 'Phantom' will most likely catapult paranormal research forward at least a century. I've also concluded that those energy weapons he carries are fueled by an exceptionally refined form of ectoplasm which I've never encountered before."

"And this means?" The Headmistress asked, understanding what Chang had meant. Phantom was turning out to be quite the scientific curiosity for him, but nothing that could lead her any closer to Blood's plans for him.

"I'm not sure yet," Chang grinned deviously, "but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say that Phantom is not a 'natural' undead. Indeed, I'd go so far as to say he was perhaps _created_."

_'Maybe Chang doesn't exactly understand the importance of tactical or strategic information,'_ the Headmistress contemplated. Scientists...book smart, but common sense deficient. "You're telling me that Blood has the ability to artificially create being like Phantom?" Her voice was even, with no hint of wavering, which she was proud of.

Because if Blood had that kind of technology...

The implications were disturbing.

"Not Blood certainly," Chang dismissed offhandedly. "The man is a hack with this kind of hard science. He sticks to what he knows, though, psychology, psychiatry and such...the softer sciences."

There was a note of disgust in Chang's voice. The Headmistress imagined anything that wasn't quantifiable down to the last decimal place irritated the man. "So," she surmised, "He has someone working for him that can."

"Possibly," Chang admitted, "Though I wouldn't be so sure. I wasn't sure there was this much ectoplasm in the entire world. No one has ever been able to successfully create the substance, so scientists have been reduced to collecting it from naturally occurring deposits. The creation of this one individual, if I am correct in my hypothesis, likely drained the whole of their supply, especially if it was concentrated and refined in the way I believe."

"What do you mean?" The Headmistress asked, both curious and buying time to digest the previous information.

"Well..." Chang considered. "Ectoplasm is an incredibly unique material with a variety of strange...well, 'allotrope' aren't exactly the right word, I'm actually not sure there is a correct term for these different aspects we've observed..."

The Headmistress cleared her throat pointedly.

"Oh," Chang blinked, brought back to reality. "At any rate, Ectoplasm is normally something like a mist which is neutrally buoyant with air and barely visible to the naked eye."

"But we've seen Phantom use some manner of green substance as a kind of ray," the Headmistress argued.

"Exactly," Chang...gushed, and the Headmistress felt suddenly dirty for applying the term to the strange scientist, "That is ectoplasm's wave form, much like a focused beam of coherent light or a free electron laser. I'm not sure of the specifics yet, but this phenomenon has only been observed a few times in human history! And he can produce it at will!"

"Fascinating," the Headmistress deadpanned.

"And the radiation I've observed coming from him!" Chang cackled. "Its not alpha or beta radiation at all, in fact it may not be radiation as we know it. You see, I think he may actually be _producing _ectoplasm, much like a breeder reactor or something similar. The particles may be yet another form of ectoplasm that has, as of yet, gone unobserved."

"Is it dangerous?" The Headmistress asked abruptly. When the words 'radiation' and 'reactor' were used back-to-back like that, one couldn't help but be concerned.

"It's too soon to tell." Chang replied bluntly. "I'll tell you if the process approaches dangerous levels, but right now I'm more intrigued by the metaphysical aspects of many of his powers."

"Why?" His audience asked obligingly, wishing the man would get to the point already.

"Well, to put it bluntly, they shouldn't be possible within the know laws of physics. Many 'supernatural' phenomena we've encountered over the last century or so have been explained by alien biology, or genetic tampering. For instance, the ghost's roommate doesn't actually use 'shadow' to do what he does, but has a kind of psychic power that increases in efficiency as levels of photons drop. Phantom's powers, though, just don't make sense. His mass and density seem to fluctuate at his whim, allowing him to hover as we've seen a few times, and theoretically fly."

Here the doctor paused for breath.

"Further, his ability to pass through objects is...very strange. It has nothing to do with density or mass, but instead relies on some phase-shifting mechanism which I haven't been able to determine. He apparently has a similar ability which allows light to either pass through him or bend around him, rendering him invisible. I'm currently at a loss as to explaining the hows and whys of Phantom's powers, there just isn't enough data."

"Hmm," the Headmistress nodded, "very well. Keep me up to date on him. The little information we have worries me, Chang."

"Yes, yes," Chang nodded, already looking back to his computer screen.

The Headmistress hid a sigh and shook her head. What she wouldn't give for a scientist who knew how to interact with the rest of humanity.

**DC Phantom**

"Okay...concentrate," Danny whispered, holding out his hand.

"Now...focus."

"Aim."

"And...fire," The ghost-boy's mantra ended, a bolt of green energy shooting across the field and smacking into a target. Danny frowned as the bolt struck off-center, a little too far from where he'd been aiming. "Darn," Danny growled, "At least I hit inside the circle, this time."

Wandering somewhat aimlessly had brought the teen to a region of the Academy which was somewhat more distant than his normal excursions. This area had been even more sparsely-populated than the main school. Numerous locked rooms that he hadn't quite felt comfortable enough to 'look' into, save for one unlocked region, which had turned out to be a shooting range.

"You're getting better," a voice said from behind him.

"I don't think that's saying much," Danny replied, sneaking a look at the robed Enforcer, then staring back sourly at the corridor he'd been 'shooting' down. A series of black pot-marks dotted the concrete at the far end, marks from his previous attempts.

"No one's an expert right off the bat," 24 shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

That had been another interesting surprise, meeting his erstwhile 'friend' in this area. The Enforcer had greeted him formally, though that had ended when Danny had actually noticed the number stitched onto the man's uniform. 24 had relaxed quite a bit after revealing that the Headmistress didn't actively monitor the firing range area, instead opting to station an Enforcer in the area to personally oversee it and prevent conflicts.

It was a pretty cushy job this early in the year.

Especially when you considered that most students wouldn't have access to firearms or ordinance of any kind for weeks. Seeing as how he 'accidentally' shot at See-More the other day (more of an on-purpose accident, really), the chance to practice 'firing' his beams and hone his accuracy beyond five feet was a welcome thing.

"Yeah, but I was kinda' hoping the whole 'ghost thing' would come with..." Danny shrugged, unable to adequately explain the feeling.

"An instruction manual? A little voice in the back of your head telling you what to do and how to do it?" The Enforcer asked in a slightly snide and mocking tone, but with good nature to take the edge off.

"Pretty much," Danny snorted, finding the notion silly now that he considered it.

"Eh, most of you," The Enforcer made a nebulous motion with his hand, propping his feet up on his desk, "supers or metas or whatever the news is calling you nowadays, think like that. It's why so many of you kids get hurt or thrown in the slammer. Just 'cause you can suddenly shoot lasers from your eyes doesn't make you Superman, ya' know? Or ice powers don't make you Captain Cold."

"Captain Cold?" Danny asked as he lined up another shot, "He's one of the Flash villains, right?"

"Yeah, they usually call themselves Rogues, though," The Enforcer explained. "Nice guy, met him once. Real down-to-earth guy, if you know what I mean."

"Nor really," Danny admitted, pleased that his shot had landed on the target again, even if not precisely at the center. "I mean, a villain's a villain, right?"

Enforcer 24 gave the impression of staring at him for a long moment, despite the fact that Danny wasn't really able to see his face. The man shook his head tiredly, "Kid, didn't you pay attention to that stupid opening speech the Headmistress gives?"

Danny frowned as both the Headmistress' and Brother Blood's warning about "Black and White" morality came back to haunt him. "I guess, but how different can villains really be?"

24 groaned. "Alright, I'm gonna' warn you about this, but only 'cause you're such a nice kind and all. "You shouldn't ever say something like that around here. I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of your classmates are probably seriously considering that as a career choice."

Danny's eyes widened, green orbs flaring in surprise, "But, I thought-"

"You don't _have _to be evil to be a rogue, kid," 24 explained. "And, anyway, there's a lot of different types of evil besides."

"I guess," Danny replied in the tone of someone who doesn't really understand a subject.

24 sighed, holding up his pointer finger. "Okay, think about it this way. At the crazy end of the spectrum we've got the Joker. That guy's someone even most Big Bads won't work with. He's loopier than all the world's Fruit Loops combined, he regularly kills his own henchmen, and his idea of a laugh is poisoning a city full of people with toxic gas."

Danny's face was a rictus of disgust. He had known about the Joker...hell, everyone probably knew _about _the Joker, but hearing him described like that nearly made him sick to his stomach.

"Then we've got Zoom," 24 held up a second finger. "One of the current Flashes biggest fans before he got superpowers. Now, he wants to make the Flash a better hero by giving him some kind of tragic backstory by killing someone close to him. He's kinda' the poster boy for that whole 'road to hell and good intentions' saying."

Danny stared, torn between awe at what he perceived as stupidity and horror that someone could go that crazy.

"And hey, here's another good example," 24 said suddenly. "Captain Cold, what you might not know about him is that he's a real by-the-books guy. His whole thing with the Flash is all a game, but the game has rules and he's a stickler for them. Doesn't hurt women or children, doesn't like people who get too violent, and he actually got a lot of rogues to send flowers after this guy's wife got killed. As far as villain's go, he's actually a pretty nice guy...well, as much as he's a greedy, mean old man-whore, but we've all got our problems."

"Uh-huh," Danny nodded slowly, his head practically spinning with the revelations which had been forced on him.

"All you have to do to be a villain, Phantom?" Then Enforcer confided, "Is fight a hero. Evil's got jack to do with it...though it might help."

"What about the hero?" Phantom asked. "Aren't you putting people in danger fighting them? Doesn't that make you a bad person?"

"And heroes are so good?" 24 asked in reply. "What about people who are stealing to feed their kids? Or to pay for medical treatment for a friend or family member? Are they just as bad as the junkie in the alleyway with a knife? People like the Batman don't care about reasons, they just care about the crime."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Danny eventually asked, dropping back against the wall and sliding down it.

"Maybe 'cause I like you, kid," The Enforcer said bluntly. "Maybe because you're one of the most powerful kids I've seen come through this school, and maybe because you're the only one of those who has their head screwed on straight. Though I probably just don't want to see you do something stupid because you think you have to. There's only two types of things in the world, kid: what you can live with and what you can't."

The shadowy void that was the Enforcer's face bored into him. "Think about that before you try and play cops and robbers...on either side."

24 stood up, stretching, before settling back into his his stiff 'working' posture. "On that note, you need to get going, class change is coming up."

Danny nodded vacantly, standing and grabbing his bag before phasing through the door.

In his stupor, he'd never even noticed it was closed.

* * *

After School with Mr. Anderson:

"Alrighty, class is back in session!" The teacher grins. "I am glad to report that, even though I scrapped a few old plans for this story, I've made new, hopefully better ones. And for those of you who are curious, yes, some of them will have the Red Hood (yes, it's probably who you think it is) feature prominently. So, yes, this is going to, very soon, be much less of a rewrite of HIVE Minded and start growing into its own story, which I'm rather glad about. That said, I will be incorporating a lot of ideas which had been in HIVE Minded...and scrap some completely."

Mr. Anderson snickers, "For instance, I've got this great idea regarding Vlad and...stuff, funny funny stuff. I'm pretty sure this might be the first time anyone's actually done Vlad like this, which will be interesting to see the kind of response I get."

"In addition, some of you may be speculating that Marvel Phantom has slowed progress on this story, given the attention its been getting. Not so...actually the opposite. Marvel Phantom got me writing again in a big way after I was so tired of rehashing old plot points of DC Phantom. Oh, and for those of you who didn't know it, I've got another story running now, which is at its most basic level of description Danny Phantom in Marvel instead of DC. I've gotten quite a few positive reviews for it, but I'm always looking for interesting critiques, especially from people who've been reading DC Phantom or its precursor. Hmm...in other news, got my papers and my finals done, finished updating my grades, and got my SLTs done. For those of you who are still in school, ask your teachers about their SLTs, if they have to do them, and see what their response is. Fun...so much fun (bashes head against desk)."

"And," he goes silent for a moment, considering things, "I think that's it. I seem to do really bad with an actual 'schedule' for updates, so we'll play things by ear I guess. Feel free to over constructive comments and ideas and I'll feel free to shamelessly rip them off and use them. So..."

Read & Review

-Slayer Out!


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